


Mankai

by ThisIsNotAQuill



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-02-21 21:38:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 24,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13152543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThisIsNotAQuill/pseuds/ThisIsNotAQuill
Summary: Hoshido's crushing defeat at the hands of Nohr leave a stain on Sakura's heart. Soon after her elder sister takes the throne, she awakens in a foreign kingdom tangled in a war of their own. If she is to ever return to Hoshido, she must first fulfill her role in Askr and learn to trust again.





	1. 壊れた (Kowareta) - Broken

 

満開 ( _Mankai) -_ full bloom

* * *

When she had arrived in Izumo, she never felt like a foreigner. There had been something placating about the atmosphere. Perhaps it was the architecture from the shōji doors to the tatami mats... It was never a far comfort from the inside walls of Shirasagi. Izumo held a reputation in neutrality, but sat on the cusp of Hoshidan soil. Sometimes she wonders what became of that peaceful village, what occurred after the awkward reunion with Corrin. Did the Nohrian army leave them in peace? Or did they ravage the tranquility much like they had with Hoshido? A part of her is curious, but she can never bring herself to _physically_ confirm her worries.

The kingdom of Askr is _nothing_ like Hoshido, and Sakura feels further from home than she’s ever felt before. At least, she thinks, she’s not holed up in a crudely erected tent watched by Nohrian guards. Here she has freedom, here there is no hostility...

…but there are no familiar faces.

She recalls the strong confusion that trickled down her spine at Commander Anna’s words:

“ _A hero from the World of Birthright! You’re the first one, Princess Sakura.”_

Back home, the war between Hoshido and Nohr had ended in heavy casualties. Raijinto and Fujin Yumi had returned to them without their owners, Hinoka took the crown meant for their eldest brother out of responsibility, and Sakura played the role of ambassador. It had been at least a month before she woke up to a group of strangers and a gray orb at her own feet. There had been a crack off center, as if someone had fired a projectile at it.

Why was she _here_? Hoshido needed her – _Hinoka_ needed her. Sakura had later confronted the prince and princess of Askr, asked if there was a way to return home. The look they shared was answer enough.

This world was not going to relinquish its hold until she fulfilled her purpose. But what purpose, and why her? Why not someone strong like her big sister? She couldn’t fight – she couldn’t defend Fort Jinya, even when Takumi had taught her _everything_ she needed to know about archery. In her hands, the bow was as useful as swinging a Bloom Festal.

Sakura’s nights are spent tossing and turning as the questions shuffle noisily in her head.

Early dawn finds her in the mess hall with a full tray adjacent to Sharena. Sakura can’t bring herself to stomach the foreign food. The cereal flakes in her bowl soak the milk and paste to her teeth unpleasantly. Though said to be nutritious, the meal is tasteless on her tongue and she rinses it with a heavy gulp of water. Sakura sits quietly, eyes slammed down to her hands clasped in her lap. Her palms feel sweaty, and she worries she will not be able to hold Fear when the time comes.

“...So, I think another day in the fourth stratum of the Training Tower should be enough for you. Then we can assist my brother and Commander Anna in the next world,” Sharena concludes, her eyes flitting over her small team. “I’ll be with you, and I’m pretty good so you’ll have nothing to worry about!”

Despite her unease, Sakura does find light comfort in Sharena’s positivity. It was Sharena who assured Sakura there was a way home, and if she needed to return to Hoshido that badly, they would double their efforts. Sharena reminds her of Hana, her loyal retainer— Ah, perhaps it was not wise to draw similarities between the Askr Princess and her best friend.

Though it is of little surprise, Sakura does not recognize anyone in her group. There’s only four of them including Sharena, both male. One is a stoic man with blonde hair who Sakura assumes is from a tribe due to the feathers and unique accessories. She’s unsure how this man believes not wearing a shirt will protect him from battle, but she’s not _too_ unfamiliar with soldiers wearing little armor... or lack thereof...

(Sakura makes a mental note to double her efforts in healing today.)

Her last teammate is a boy around her age with a shock of red hair. His clothing looks formal, _regal_ almost, and though he looks young, Sakura can tell he’s listening intently. She hadn’t seen a brand or emblem stitched into his cape, so she’s unsure if he even _hails_ from a kingdom... But he must, for a villager would rarely be seen in cloths so fine. If not a prince, then perhaps a commander wise beyond his years.

Sharena interjects Sakura’s train of thought. “If you’re feeling confidant, maybe we could move to the fifth stratum. But for now, let’s take it easy... Oh! Right, we should probably do introductions, huh? You’re all pretty new to this world, so I’ll be giving you commands today, but it’ll be easier if we all know one another,” she stands with the intent of leaving. “We’ll talk along the way; it’s about time we head out.”

At first, Sakura has a difficult time maintaining eye contact with the older man; he’s rather intimidating, not unlike the Nohrian army. There’s a different demeanor that separates him from the harsh Nohrian soldiers, she concludes.

He introduces himself as Hawkeye, the Desert Guardian of his home village. The words that leave his mouth are heavy and slow, as if unused to the common tongue. His tone of voice is the opposite of what Sakura had been expecting, and she feels her shoulders relax.

The boy with the red hair is Roy, son of Pherae’s Eliwood. Sakura doesn’t know where Pherae is, but perhaps it was one of the kingdoms in Roy’s home – it sounded too important otherwise. Compared to Hawkeye, he warms up to the team quicker, and perhaps Sharena assigns him to Sakura for this reason.

Their walk to the Training Tower is short, and Sakura can see the tower standing proudly against the backdrop of a clear sky. En route, Sharena asks her to introduce herself, and she does so. Sakura omits details of the war and its consequences. She doesn’t know why, but the modesty from her teammates may have something to do with it. To them, she is just a princess of Hoshido, and she bows, stutters how it’s nice to meet them. Sharena steps in encouragingly, praises Sakura for her magic, something she had left out in her introduction.

Sharena leads them into the gaping mouth of the tower. There’s a spiral of stairs, but Sakura is surprised when she instead directs them to a gold pedestal supporting a peculiar ring woven of ancient stone. It’s unlike the rings worn on fingers, instead a large artifact with cyan inscriptions written in unknown alphabet.

“To reach higher stratums, we use this ring called Draupnir,” Sharena explains. “If you have a stratum in mind, you’ll be able to instantly warp to your destination. Pretty interesting, huh? Just make sure you all agree or else the ring may send you to a random floor and there’s no telling what will happen. The floor you end up on could be the highest stratum or the lowest. Since this is your first time here, it’s best we avoid that.”

The inscriptions glow as Sharena’s hand hovers over a character. “These are all written in Askr numbers, meaning you should probably brush up on some reading while you’re here. It’s not too difficult; you’ll only have to know one through ten! For now, we want four, and since I’m here today, I’ll do it for you.

Enemies on the fourth stratum aren’t difficult, but they can be dangerous if you’re no careful. Something else to keep in mind is the layout; the floors change each time you go in them. It’s a bit difficult to tell if we’ll be separated or wind up together. That’s why you must prepare for the worse, and why most teams should develop strategies before going in. The first thing you want to do if separated, is regroup. If there are enemies you have an advantage over, you can challenge them, but rendezvous is important – especially on higher stratums. It’s important we all have weapons because we may have to break walls to reach different areas.”

Sharena pauses, gaze averting to Sakura. “I believe the Fear staff you have is capable of inflicting damage. As a healer, your power may be weaker, but the good thing about staves is you can slow down enemies,” her eyebrows furrow in concern.” I’m sorry, Sakura, I don’t know as much about weapons as Commander Anna... But I’ll be sure to have her talk with you about them after our training.”

Sakura nods. “I-I’ts okay, Sharena. You’ve been very helpful, and I-I can fight too.”

It’s not a complete lie, but Sakura has only trained physically with the bow. The festals back in Hoshido could not inflict physical damage. Freeze or Silence a foe were options, but she’s never had to use spells offensively. Her training as a Shrine Maiden did not teach her the darker side to magic.

Here she is armed with a staff and no bow.

“...If we’re all ready, let’s go. We’ll see how one round goes then decide if we want to continue.”

Preparations complete, Sharena touches what Sakura assumes is the number four on the Draupnir ring, and light floods her vision. She clenches her eyes at the onslaught, sees blinding white behind her eyelids, and just as quick as it comes, it fades. A heavy silence fills her ears, and Sakura cautiously opens one eye.

Her heart stutters in her chest.

She is surrounded by large, gray stone, and since her stand at Fort Jinya, Sakura is trapped with no way to escape.

Fate must be against her. There was no way she could break the walls surrounding her with the staff. She raised it in shaking hands, but the stone remained firm. Frustration blooms in her chest, and she can feel herself tremble. She _knows_ what to do – regroup – but how can she when Fear is coughing up weak sparks of magic? If she listens closely, she can hear voices, but she’s unable to identify them from the density of the walls. She knows they’re looking for her...

...One last time.

Sakura grabs the staff firmly, knuckles bleaching from the pressure, and she squeezes her eyes shut. She calls on every drop of magic that runs in her veins. It was a different type of weapon, but she could do it – she _had_ to. She tries to remember what Orochi told her about scrolls, how the magic was different, but not impossible. Orochi respected Sakura not just as a princess but as a Diviner, even if Sakura had never delved in offensive arts. But with just a little _push_ , maybe she could make something happen.

Maybe she could escape without hard-tipped arrows.

A thunderous rumble shatters her concentration and her eyes fly open, relief lancing through her.

She did it! She managed to—

The soldier with the axe stares her down through veiled eyes. His helmet is metal, his armor is metal, everything about him screams _Nohr_ , and Sakura can feel her conscious shutting down. Panic settles in her stomach, her legs are pumped with lead, and suddenly she can’t move. She sees the axe arc above his head, and her feet stumble back in a dance of confusion.

She’s suddenly back in Fort Jinya, and soon the Nohrian will hoist her to her feet harshly, and she’ll feel the kiss of the blade. A voice rings around her, and she wants to cover her ears against the cacophony of war.

Instead, the blade protrudes through his abdomen, and the man topples. Fort Jinya disappears from her sight as he crumples at her feet. Dead.

Sakura feels like she’s going to be sick. And God, he needs _help_ , but why on _earth_ isn’t he bleeding?

“Princess Sakura, lets hurry!”

In her dazed vision, she makes out a hand, and not a thought crosses her mind as she takes it. She doesn’t know which one of her teammates it is, but it feels safe, and she feels herself gently being lifted to her feet. Sakura blinks hard against the soldier that nearly killed her, tries to push the image from her mind. She can do this – she did it once, she can do it again.

“Hey, can you walk?”

Sakura nods. It’s Roy, she realizes numbly, he saved her. She forces words out of her swiftly-drying throat. “I-I’m so sorry, I-I should’ve...” she shakes her head vigorously against the pressure of tears. ‘ _Not_ now,’ she scolds herself. “He’s _dead_ , i-isn’t he?”

Something akin to guilt flits through Roy’s eyes, and he looks from her to the motionless body. “He wouldn’t put down his weapon.” Unspoken: _I didn’t want to kill him._ Roy nudges her arm. “We need to find Sharena and Hawkeye. Stay close to me.”

Her response is silence. She follows as Roy navigates her away from the temporary prison, the body of the axe-man dissolving in a crescendo of shadow.

They don’t look back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted Roy/Sakura. So I wrote it.  
> \--
> 
> OH. Please correct my Japanese (chapter titles) if they are incorrect; I'm still learning.
> 
>  **Name** : Sakura  
>  **Age** : 15  
>  **Voice** : Hisako Kanemoto; Brianna Knickerbocker  
> The aftermath of war between her home kingdom and Nohr weighs heavily on Sakura. She spent only a month in Hoshido aiding her sister, Queen Hinoka, before being abruptly summoned to the Kingdom of Askr. Now, Sakura realizes this kingdom desperately needs her help before she can return home. But surprises both hurtful and loving lie beyond each corner, and Sakura's not sure how much her heart can take.


	2. 機能的 - (Kinouteki) Functional

満開 ( _Mankai) -_ full bloom

* * *

 

Fatigue burrows into her limbs as she steps back into the halls of Askr castle. The adrenaline that previously thrummed through her at the Training Tower reels back sharply, and the ricochet nearly brings her to her knees.

The _idea_ of returning to the stratums without knowing how to use the staff, makes her head spin. It’s frustrating, and it’s as if she’s back in Hoshido, training for the first time. A bronze yumi occupying her hands instead of her trademark Bloom Festal. There are moments where the arrow refuses to notch, and her muscles are still sore from yesterday’s session. Her stamina is nowhere as sturdy as her older brother’s, but she will continue – she _must_.

Upon return, Sharena had directed her to Anna. She apologized, but Sakura felt more at fault; she _swore_ she could defend herself but ultimately couldn’t. Her remaining time at the Fourth Stratum had found her on the backlines, guarded by her teammates. It was embarrassing, and though victorious, Sakura struggled to feel anything akin to mirth. She assumed Hawkeye and Roy have been to the tower before, having no need for her healing, and dodging heavy swings of an axe or blade.

From atop her lap, Sakura’s fingers curl against her palms, the fabric of her skirt bunching just slightly. She’s so _useless_ – even here, a world where these heroes placed their faith in her. It’s almost pathetic, and Sakura suddenly wants to go home. She would be embracing a broken Hoshido, her sister upon the throne, but at least there she knew what to do.

_At least she wouldn’t be alone._

“This is a Physic staff,” Anna’s voice clips the wings of her train of thought. Her eyebrows are furrowed as she bounces it lightly in her hands. “It seems weapons work differently in your world, Princess Sakura. In Askr, you can unlock more skills the more you use it.”

Sakura blinks once before grasping the neck of the proposed weapon. She grew up with a Festal in hand – why did this feel so different,

_(it bore resemblance to the staves Troubadours favored)_

so _wrong_?

“If you’re worried about fighting, you could always use a bow. Sharena told me you had some experience with archery, and Askr has a shooting range.”

She slams her gaze to her lap, where Physic rests quietly. The purple gem framed by gilded brackets stares back at her, pulsing in time with her eerily calm heart. “Um, no thank you… I don’t want t-to trouble anyone. T-There are better archers here; I’d just get in th-the way.”

Anna tilts her head, a frown creasing atop her once-neutral expression. “Thinking like that won’t improve your skills, Princess Sakura. Maybe you don’t have to use a bow for the whole time you’re here, but you should at least have something to defend yourself with – especially as a newcomer. You don’t want to have a repeat of what happened in the tower. Heroes _can_ be resurrected, bu—”

“But I _can_ heal them!” her voice rises, and she locks gazes with Anna. Catching herself on her outburst, she exhales to expel the bubbling tension. _Calm down, calm down. She’s_ trying _to help you._ “I-I know what happened in t-the stratum was _my_ fault. Sharena and the others... They all protected me when Roy and I regrouped... They weren’t majorly injured, but I was able to do what I could when they _were_. I-If I can do that much...”

The sentence hangs by a thread, and a thoughtful look crosses Anna’s face as she taps her forefinger to her chin. For a second, Sakura fears she’s overstepped her bounds for snapping at Askr’s commander, but the tone of her voice says otherwise. “Well, we _are_ low on healers... But I don’t want you to think what happened back there was your fault, Princess Sakura; I’m sure Sharena would agree. New Heroes always struggle, so don’t let that get you down.”

Her words refuse to leave her throat, so her head dips in a firm nod.

“Until you can use the magic of that staff, you’re going to need someone with you whenever you access one of the stratums,” she pauses. “If you’ll let me, I’ll speak to someone first about it, and have them contact you later. If they’re not who you’re expecting, just let me know, okay?”

Askr is home to unfamiliar faces – Sakura does not have a preference, but...

“Now how about you grab something to eat? I noticed you were poking at your food this morning.” The message is accusatory, but Anna’s voice is devoid of any warning, substituted for something almost _playful_. “Would you like me to go with you?”

Her fingers are sore, and Sakura glances down to see her fingers curled tightly around the staff. “O-Oh, no thank you, Commander Anna. Y-You’ve helped me a lot today, I-I’ll be fine.” When she unclenches her fist, her knuckles throb unpleasantly. Despite the numbness, she pushes it aside, bowing deeply in respect. “I promise to meet your expectations.”

“Just don’t push yourself, alright?”

Sakura’s not sure she can meet that request.

* * *

 

 _A yelp of surprise rips from her throat as the edge of an axe buries itself in the approaching foe. Sakura sees it clamp into the metal helmet, the crumpled body of their enemy as their lance topples to the ground as well. Although the soldier dissolves in a crescendo of dark energy, she can’t look long at the axe... Lest she sees_ that man _, the one who swung his weapon, crushing enemies as a bout of insanity chorused from his mouth._

_Sakura had feared him._

_She could still hear the screams as he attacked one helpless Hoshidan after another, she could still_ feel _the way her wrists had been chaffed from her bindings, and above it all she could hear her_ own _voice ringing in her ears as she begged them to let her_ help _—_

_“I apologize.”_

_She jumps slightly at the voice. Her unease does not go unnoticed by Hawkeye. He’s more perceptive than she initially thought, but she is grateful nonetheless._

_“N-No, I... I’m sorry, th-this is just—”_

_He shakes his head, successfully quieting her. “We will protect you.”_

But I don’t want you to put yourself in danger for _me_...

_“There should be one more left,” Sharena faces them, the butt of her lance planted firmly against the ground. “We’ll get out of here soon. But so far, everyone’s okay, right?”_

_Silence drips by for a handful of seconds._

_“Sharena,” Roy’s voice, although quiet, breaks the silence. “_ Who _are we fighting? They don’t respond to our voices, they don’t even talk... It’s as if the only thing they can do is fight.” He pauses, and from where Sakura stands, she can see him bite the inside of his lip. “Is someone controlling them?”_

_“No, it’s not like that, it’s... hard for me to explain. But they’re not real people, they’re—”_

_Approaching footsteps cut into her words, and their gazes latch onto the last enemy who rounds the corner. Eyes shadowed by a low helmet, unmoving lips, a sword in their right hand... Sakura cannot see a trace of life in their enemy, and somehow, she finds this almost as unsettling as the bloodthirsty general that ravaged those poor Hoshidans._

_It was... an unnatural fear that settled inside her._

_“I’ll explain when we get out of here,” Sharena said, hoisting her weapon as she took an offensive stance. “I owe you guys that much.”_

“...Princess Sakura?”

She’s torn from her thoughts, and now she’s back in her corner in the dining hall. The sounds of chatter have simmered to a murmur now that an hour has passed. Her food, a pitiful meal that consists of a sandwich and a couple fruit pieces (by _her_ choice, of course) sits before her. The Physic staff leans against the table. Attached to that voice is someone she had _least_ expected, because why would anyone want to talk to her after what happened?

“Lord Roy,” There’s a brief pause after his name, and Sakura’s hands find themselves in her lap again. “Um, I-I’m sorry about earlier... It shouldn’t have been your r-responsibility to look after me like that. I... Before going in, I-I even told Sharena I could fight...” She froze on the battlefield. Again.

 _Sorry I’m so_ useless.

“Wait please, Princess Sakura,” Roy cuts her off with a lifted hand, as if he intended to reach out to her. “There’s no reason for you to apologize. I haven’t been here in Askr long and I don’t fully understand how this world functions. But I know some of our other healers had difficulty using Askrian equipment when they first started out.”

The meeting with Anna floods back to her, and Sakura sees the connection between Roy’s words and hers. When Anna explained things, a part of Sakura desperately wanted to believe it was the Physic staff at fault – not her. She had to cling to that small fragment of hope, the belief she wasn’t as powerless as she thought. Though she has a feeling Roy may be saying this just to comfort her, she appreciates the gesture nonetheless.

“I wanted to ask you about that...”

Sakura looks at him, her mind sweeping aside lingering doubt in exchange for attention. “Ask me something...? About what?”

And without hesitance, Roy meets her eyes. She catches _something_ in that gaze – maturity... determination? Though he’s young, Sakura can tell he’s had a share of hardships as well. “If you would allow it, I’d like to stay by your side in the next battles. I’m not as strong as some of the other warriors, but I’ll do what I can to keep you – and everyone else – safe from our enemies.”

“What? I-I mean I wouldn’t want you getting hurt... I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if someone got hurt trying to protect me again.”

She sees Hana, the pink and white of her clothing dashed with blood... the once-smiling face swiped from her lips, replaced with a scowl as she raised her katana at the enemy… Subaki’s normally smug demeanor swapped for unnerving seriousness... he had offered her a smile and a promise to protect her, but that very smile left his face with a turn of the heel... Sakura positioned at the ballista, Yukimura at the entrance to Fort Jinya, her retainers nowhere in sight... All she could do was wait for the enemy and pray to the deaf Dawn Dragon that they would _all_ make it out alive.

And perhaps their guardian _did_ heed her prayers, with what little gratitude it had, for much later they would reunite. She remembers Hana struggling to fight her tears (all for _Sakura’s_ sake) as Nohr added another chip of Hoshido to their pile... Subaki turning to them in disbelief (“ _Yukimura... This_ can’t _be happening_.”). Their spirit had been reduced to powder, ground into the dust by the blood-caked boots of the Nohrians that marched into Hoshido as if it were _trash_.

Above it all, there were the _Hoshidans_ , those that took up arms to protect her and her family, and lost their lives in the process...

...How could she risk something like that with Roy? A complete stranger who was _offering_ to stand in harm’s way just to make sure _she_ made it out alive? That wasn’t fair to _anyone_.

“...Again?”

Ah. She had said that out loud, hadn’t she?

Sakura breaks eye contact with a shake of her head. “I’m sorry... I need to go. B-But please... reconsider. I’ll become strong so I can fight by myself, so that no one has to worry.” She rises from her seat, dips in a bow for the second time that day ( _but what else can she do but apologize?_ ). “Th-Thank you for the offer. If you’ll excuse me.”

She grabs her plate, appetite chased away by a horde of mixed emotions that pool in her stomach. And Sakura retreats without a second glance.

Roy doesn’t stop her.

* * *

 

Her talk with Roy reminds Sakura to speak with Anna.

Before she’s requested to the front lines for a second day, she seeks out their Commander. It takes persuasion, but Sakura is able to quash Anna’s search for a bodyguard, put bluntly. She promises to double her efforts on healing, until Physic leant her its strength. Anna requires her to come in and talk post-battle, at least until she “gets the hang of things”. And it’s a small trade-off for defending herself – Sakura doesn’t complain, because along with her team from the other day, Anna is someone she feels she can trust.

She may be able to get rid of Anna’s initial idea, but she notices some differences in her team today. For one, there is a now a man with long blue hair who practically _sings_ of nobility from his attire down to his behavior. Sakura notices the bow, and perhaps had she enough courage, she would have approached him. But he’s very straightforward as well; perhaps reluctance to engage in small talk was a good idea...

Next is a red-haired man, distant and moody, and gods he reminds her _so much_ of Takumi—

Sakura discovers she can’t look at him very long, much less _speak_ to him without her throat tightening and feeling the pressure of tears against her eyes.

In some ironic twist of fate, she finds herself gravitating to Roy, the fourth member of their team. She worries he wants to talk to her about yesterday, but thankfully nothing of the sort is said. And by the time they reach their destination, thoughts are chased out of her.

Large stone walls frame whoever lies within, so Virion (their archer) proposes the idea of luring out their enemies. At the sight of the first person who rounds the corner, Sakura feels her mouth go dry.

She _knows_ him, but she also doesn’t. She only knows him from the battlefield, a retainer much like Subaki is to her, but it’s _who_ he serves that sets Sakura’s nerves on edge.

This man... is a retainer to Princess Elise.

“But, why?”

“Princess Sakura?”

If _he’s_ here, then Elise _must_ be here as well—

Raven’s axe collides with his, and Sakura rushes forward, ignoring the mixed shout of both Roy and Virion. She’s going to draw attention to herself, but she doesn’t care. She _needs_ answers, and if it meant putting herself between an ally and the enemy, so be it. “Please _wait_!”

Elise’s retainer – _Arthur_ , that's what Elise had called him – is knocked off his feet, but thankfully there are no concerning injuries. When he sees Sakura approach, he looks at her quizzically.

“Sakura, what are you doing?” Raven’s voice is cold, a warning. She feels a shudder slither down her spine, but she can hold her ground – ally or not.

“Let me speak to him,” she says, her own voice is filed to an edge – unyielding in the face of an unspoken threat. “I know this man, and he might be able to help us.”

He regards her with disbelief. “You can’t be serious. You’d let your guard down before an _enemy_?”

 _“You’d trust someone from_ Nohr?” _Takumi quips._

_... ..._

_‘No,’_ she thinks. _‘_ Never _again...’_

“Raven,” Sakura turns, and Roy is at her side. He spares a glance at their enemy. “Let her talk to him. He can’t do anything in his position, and he doesn’t _look_ ready to retaliate. If we were fighting someone you knew, wouldn’t you want to do the same?”

There’s silence followed by a resigned sigh. The axe is lowered so Raven crosses his arms. “No, I wouldn’t. There’s no one left where I’m from, and besides, these aren’t even the same people. They come from different worlds.”

“You don’t know that—”

“—I’ve seen enough here,” Raven scowls, turning to walk away. “Do what you want, but hurry. We’re not done yet.”

When he’s further into the throat of the fortress, Arthur finally speaks. “But you...! You are from the kingdom of Hoshido, are you not?” Sakura blinks in surprise, but he continues. “Have you been separated from your family? You don’t appear to be under the binding contract we have been tied to.”

She shakes her head, pauses briefly to see if he’ll inject more questions to the mix. “N-No, but... H-How much do you remember?”

“Remember?” If Arthur didn’t seem confused then, he certainly did now. “Are you implying some fiend has placed a memory spell on me and Lady Elise? That... That can’t be right. Lady Veronica’s contract can only reach so far... Though if I may, I have one question for you, third Princess of Hoshido.”

Sakura’s mind is trying to catch up to the words Arthur so casually threw to the air. Contract... Veronica... _Third_. There was _another_ sister? It couldn’t have been Azura, she was— Sakura tries to clear her head; she asked for a favor, so she must return one too. “I-I’ll answer it the best I can...”

“Has justice been restored to Hoshido now that your brother has taken the throne?”

And like that, everything stops. What once caused her great confusion now twists her mind in painful directions. She’s been given too many pieces to a puzzle and now matter how she turns them, _nothing fits._ She’s not sure _where_ this Arthur is from, but he’s opened too many cans, and Sakura can’t bear to look at them. She doesn’t have the energy to close them, and the slight mention of Ryoma stuns her into silence. The words jam in her throat, and she can’t cough up even a _syllable_.

If what Arthur says is true...

Set in another world, _Ryoma_ was alive, and something inside her says Takumi was too.

 _Hoshido is gone because the Nohrian army destroyed it._ She wants to spit these words out, the phrase she never hoped to speak suddenly wants release. And it takes some energy to fight back against the current. But as always—

“Y-Yes... Everything is fine.”

—she runs from the truth, and it’s so cowardly so _like_ her that Sakura finds herself wanting this conversation to end. Too much has been thrown at her in mere seconds, and she starts to regret having stopped Raven. Because somewhere her family was alive and well, but what happened to _her_ family, her _real_ family? The one that had been torn to hell and back by the maws of war, gifting her elder sister the throne and giving them _both_ endless amounts of grief and heartbreak? The one that took away her beloved brothers and sister? The one where Corrin turned his back on his _true_ family—

“I hate to interrupt, but we should hurry back to Raven,” she hears Virion’s voice, but she can’t bring herself to respond. “If we have time, you can always talk to the commander, Lady Sakura.”

But Sakura doesn’t. She’s had enough of this world and her head’s hurting from the confusion.

There’s too much she wants— _needs_ to know. It can’t be pulled out from under her like this, but... She needs to help everyone get to safety first.

So she forces herself to walk away. Virion warns Arthur that any attempt to strike their retreating back would not go unpunished, but Arthur sounds appalled at the _idea_ of such a thing. Loathe as she is to admit it, some Nohrians had a sense of honor. “Um, thank you... for helping me talk to Arthur.” There is no response, and Sakura halts, a spark of confusion flickers within her.

“Hm?” he stops walking, facing her. “Sorry, did you need something?”

“I j-just wanted to thank you for earlier... But what about you? I hope I didn’t cause a distraction.”

“No, don’t worry about it, Princess Sakura. It’s nothing important.” The smile he gives her is small, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. She wonders if something Arthur said set him off... “But if you don’t mind, I have a favor to ask.” he pauses. “Again.”

She’s unsure how to respond vocally, so her head dips in a small nod.

“When we return to Askr’s castle, could we talk? There’s something I want to ask, and it’s only fair if I tell you about myself. That is, if you’re comfortable.” the last part is hastily glued on as he backtracks from overstepping boundaries.

The other day, Sakura would have made an excuse. But now, she needs to get her head straight, and she fears being left alone will only lead to more frustration. She’ll talk with Roy, but she warns herself not to share _too_ much in fear of overwhelming him...

...and herself.

“Y-Yes. I...” she swallows, and shyly gives a smile of her own. It’s not completely genuine; she can’t bring herself to feel it just yet. “...I think I would like that.”

Roy blinks in surprise, and Sakura assumes he was expecting her to decline. With how swiftly she took off last night, it should be obvious. “Alright. Thank you, Princess Sakura. I look forward to it.”

“Me too, Lord Roy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Name** : Roy  
>  **Age** : 15-16  
>  **Voice** : Jun Fukuyama; Ray Chase  
> Son of Eliwood, Marquess of Pherae, Roy was summoned to Askr not long before Sakura. Much like her, he was swathed in the cocoon of war and has been given a respite since his arrival. Although open and treats allies with kindness, he seems to be concerned about _something_. Whether he shares this secret or keeps it to himself is up to those he comes to trust.


	3. 仲間 (Nakama) - Comrade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, I should've updated this a helluva lot sooner... I'm not sure how many people are still sticking around to read it or if they've moved on, but I do appreciate each kudos and comment I get (even if I don't always respond to them). Now that I am officially graduated, I am hoping to get this on an 'updating schedule' in between job hunting so we can finish this thing. And potentially reel in more shippers.
> 
> For those that are still reading and have (patiently) waited, I appreciate it and hope you enjoy this new chapter (longest one yet). As for those who may be new, I hope you enjoy.

満開 ( _Mankai) -_ full bloom

* * *

 

She finds herself delayed longer than she would like.

They’re barely pass the castle gates when she’s approached by a young woman with pink hair tied into twin tails. She’s a healer, if the staff she holds is anything to go by. And though she appears prim and proper, Sakura notices her strides are heavy, as if she _wants_ her shoes to clap loudly with each footfall.

“ _There_ you are!” She flinches back from the outburst. The girl stops in front of her, and everyone stares. It’s very... unnerving. “Here I am, working myself to the bone, _doubling_ my efforts because we’re lacking a healer. I hope you realize that this stress is not good for me.”

Sakura blinks. “I’m sorry...? I d-didn’t know you needed a healer.”

“Yes, yes, one of the teams had a close call at the stratum. There’s just _too much_ blood, and we are lacking in healers,” she continues, frowning. “I don’t understand why Kiran doesn’t summon more of them. And instead of trying to get another one, she just told me to ‘do all I can’! I’ll have you know, I—”

“Lady Serra,” Roy interjects. “I think Princess Sakura understands the situation. Maybe you should take her to the injured.”

Serra looks as if she’s been slapped. “Oh! _Princess_ \- It’s- Forgive me, Lord Roy, I hadn’t seen you there. You’ll have to pardon my dreadful manners... How unbefitting of a noble such as I,” She clears her throat. “And I must apologize to you, Princess Sakura. Though I am of high standing, it was not right of me to approach you so directly.”

Her head hurts – Serra was quite energetic, hard to keep up with. “P-Please, don’t apologize. You said some people were hurt, right? I-I want to help, so take me to them right away.” she feels guilt spark in her chest as she faces Roy. “I’m sorry, but c-could we talk later? I can’t walk away from this.”

“Take your time,” Roy assures. “Healing is just as important as fighting – if not more.”

And Sakura can’t help the tiny smile that pulls at her lips. It’s tired, _she’s_ tired, but she remembers to bow her head. “Thank you very much, Lord Roy.”

He lets out a soft, one-note laugh. “Just ‘Roy’ is fine.”

Serra lets out an exaggerated sigh. “This waiting around is making my feet sore... May I request milady we go?” she pauses. “Soon, please?”

For a noble, Sakura thinks, her mannerisms are quite blunt. “Y-Yes, excuse me...”

* * *

The room is spacious, an upgrade from the tents she retired in during the war between her home and Nohr. There are rows of beds aligning the side walls, makeshift curtains placed at intervals to give any patient the privacy they needed. Not all are occupied, and there are some people are tangled in sleep. Sakura isn’t sure which needs immediate treatment, so she keeps behind Serra, following her to the very back of the room.

Perhaps it’s because she’s grown used to it, but she finds the medical tents (or rather, room in this case) _relaxing_. On the battlefield, she can only pull and release the arrow so many times, and though she is not a poor archer, it is quite difficult to hit a moving target.

But when she’s surrounded by people who need help, she knows how to play her part. Sometimes she failed, but more than often she succeeded. It was undoubtfully stressful, and she thought she had enough of seeing broken bodies after the war. In Askr, surrounded by faces that did not belong to her family, she feels the prick of confidence at the back of her mind.

She could do this, she could do this, she could—

“I’m back!” Serra calls, stopping at the foot of one of the beds. Standing by the patient is a young woman with long blonde hair. She seems so serene, so gentle... Almost like the shrine maidens that trained her, almost like mothe—

“Thank you, Serra. If you could, tend to that patient again. His sleep is fitful,” she says, gesturing in the direction. Serra leaves, muttering something about ‘working harder’. The young woman faces Sakura. “I truly appreciate this, and the others do as well. I’m sorry you were called so quickly, but we need all the help we can get.”

A spread of white, a washcloth painted with blood.

The patient has his back turned to her, and Sakura finds herself mentally counting the breaths he takes. Stable, she concludes, but there was only so much one could gather from mere observance. “I’m glad to help,” Sakura says. “I can heal, b-but if there’s something else you need me to do, I’ll do all I can.”

“I do not doubt your skills,” she says gently. “Oh, perhaps I should introduce myself. My name is Lucius. I’m a monk, devoted to Saint Elimine.”

Wait.

“I-I’m sorry, did you say... _monk_?” At Lucius’ silence, Sakura feels her face warming. How embarrassing. “I’m sorry, I-I thought you were a cleric. I didn’t mean to offend you, I mean, I hope I haven’t.”

Lucius reaches for something on the adjacent night stand. “It’s alright. A rather... sore topic, but we should put it aside for another time... May I ask your name?”

Sakura nods, the flush leaving her cheeks. “My name is Sakura. I’m the youngest princess of Hoshido.”

_And... second in line to the throne._

 “How can I help?” her hands ball into fists. She needs to think of something else, she needs something to distract her before another wave of memories sucks her under. _Focus on healing, focus on the spells, focus on saving one life for the many_ you _could not... It wouldn’t be enough, she knows, but she can do it. She can. She_ must.

“I need to change his bandages,” he holds out the roll of cloth to her. “I used a Mend spell to close the wound, but I’m worried there is a chance of it splitting open again. The power of these staves are very weak compared to the ones in my home.”

“Understood,” Sakura unwinds the fabric, wraps it around her open palm. “We should lean him forward slowly, and i-if there’s something to support him, we can use that too.”

Lucius makes a noise of agreement as he strips away the bandages. “I was thinking of giving him another vulnerary, but we’re running low on supplies.”

The final wrap comes undone, falling away from the patient’s face.

Her heart clenches tightly, threatening to plummet into her stomach, and the new roll in her hand almost slips from her grip.

She stares into the tired eyes of Hinata.

There’s the ghosting of a weapon’s teeth in his cheeks, leaving behind shallow red lines, but the one that drew her concern was the cut on his forehead... They probably looked awful when fresh, before Lucius could apply any healing magic. Hinata’s eyes seem to ignite with recognition as he gazes at her shell-shocked expression. His lips form around her name, voice stretched and heavy.

“Why...?” This time, she losses her grip, and the bandages tumble at her feet. “I... how did you get here?”

Hinata looks at her quizzically. “ _How_? I mean, I was summoned like you were, Lady Sakura. I... well, I didn’t even know you were here!” There’s a bit more vigor in his voice, the usual energy absent, but it was _something_. And it’s been a long time since she’s heard Hinata’s voice that she can’t bring herself to really care _how_ he sounds. “Oh gods, I wonder if Lord Takumi knows about this. He’s probably worried sick.”

Sakura remains quiet. She feels dizzy, and suddenly, Askr is one big nightmare she can’t seem to wake up from. A cruel prank played on her by an unseen force, taunting her with the faces of those she loved, and those she fought against. It was punishment for her. Punishment because she was _weak_ , because she couldn’t _fight_ like her older siblings.

“Hey, Lady Sakura,” Hinata sounds worried, lowering the volume of his voice. “Ah, right, sorry. You probably don’t want to hear about Lord Takumi since he’s not here yet. But don’t worry, we can get back to Hoshido before anyone notices—”

“I saw...”

“...What?”

The words slip from her lips. Her throat feels tight, her mouth feels dry, but she _screams_ at her mind for the tears not to fall.

“Lady Sakura?”

Lucius.

She straightens her back, gazing hard at her friend. Her voice is quiet, barely above a whisper as the pressure builds behind her eyes. “I saw your body, Hinata. At the wall.”

No.

The Nohrians had been _nice_ enough to leave his body untouched. It had been _Oboro_ who told her, it had been Oboro who brought her and Hinoka to Hinata’s corpse, and it had been Oboro who set up the burial for her best friend.

Sakura wasn’t there when it happened. But she can picture _everything_.

She knows Oboro would never leave Takumi’s side, fully intent on guarding the stairs until the last breath was drawn from her weakened body.

But the Nohrians were cruel.

They didn’t bother to kill her – they had kept her alive and she saw as her beloved lord crumpled to the ground below. Oboro snapping at them like a wild animal, kicking and screaming as they bound and dragged her to the other prisoners.

At one point, she may have caught Corrin’s eyes, and the rage she felt then was unlike anything she felt before. It wasn’t the irritation she got from Hinata accidentally tearing the fabric of the yukata she made him. It wasn’t the frustration she felt when Takumi couldn’t read her. It was _rage_ that boiled in her. It burned and burned to the point where she almost emptied her stomach on the mud clotted boots of the Nohrians. And a part of her was upset she _hadn’t_ because they deserved every ounce of filth they could get.

‘ _He was your_ brother! _You’re a curse, Corrin! A monster!_ ’ Oboro wanted to scream. ‘ _You took them away... You took them away from me—’_

She wanted to scream.

She wanted to cry.

So she did.

And Sakura could feel her own eyes wet from the possible scenario, from the torment Oboro had to suffer first hand.

“We need to bandage him,” Sakura says, looking to Lucius. “I don’t want t-to take any risks.”

He doesn’t move as she bends down to pick up the roll of cloth. When they lock eyes again, Sakura sees pity. It’s as if Lucius wants to tell her something, and had her friend not been lying in that bed, she may have asked him to speak. But instead, he helps Hinata sit up, who’s just as confused if not more so.

“Lady Sakura...” Hinata prods at her. “Hey, did I say something to upset you?”

Her hands still. “No... D-Don’t ever think that.”

They finish in stiffened silence, and Sakura goes to reach for her Physic staff, prepared to cast the strongest spell she knew even if the rod wouldn’t endure. She halts as Lucius puts a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Yes?”

“I think you should retire for the day,” he says slowly.

Sakura looks away. “I have to do this... He needs my help—”

“Lady Sakura, you’re shaking.”

...He’s right.

Her whole body tremors, her grip on the staff is tight, but she sees how it wobbles in her vision. Though she chants the spell in her mind, turns it over again and again, she _knows_ she can’t do this right now. A healing spell used by a shaken caster could have unpredictable consequences. Sometimes the wound wouldn’t heal at all, or it would worsen it. And Sakura doesn’t want to take risks. Not with Hinata. Even if he’s not the same Hinata she grew up with.

“I’ll be fine,” Hinata’s voice breaks her thoughts. “I promise I’ll get healed up, then we can talk. I have a lot of questions too, you know.”

“I’m thankful for what you’ve done today,” Lucius adds. “Though I can tell something about this ails you terribly. I won’t prevent you from coming back later, but for now, Serra and I will take care of the healing.”

Sakura closes her eyes. She doesn’t want to leave. Not yet.

But—

“Could you tell me where everyone trains for battle?”

* * *

The bow is heavy.

It’s nothing like the silver yumi she used in Hoshido. This was carved of a finer metal, and though she had enough upper body strength to nock and fire an arrow, she only succeeded in missing the target every time she released.

It was frustrating.

But since leaving the clinic, she’s beginning to regain some of her senses. She sees Hinata’s face pop up in her mind’s eye and forces it down. There was much she wished to ask him, and maybe she’d even _hug_ him. And though she feared it, she wondered if Hinata came from the same world as the Arthur they dueled earlier that day.

The arrow buries itself into the target. It’s too close to the edge, she realizes dejectedly. Previous heroes had departed for the evening meal, leaving the quietness of the courtyard to ricochet off the walls and back at her. The dirt floor of the courtyard is parched, and though the occasional patch of grass breaches the surface, it’s a wonder how trees and shrubbery can still grow in an otherwise enclosed space. It would be reminiscent of a newly growing garden, had it not been for the training posts.

She stops, taking the bow and sitting on the stone bench pressed to the wall. Her fingers feel numb, and her left wrist is swollen and tender from where the string slapped against it in her carelessness.

‘ _An amateur mistake. Come on, Sakura..._ ’

Takumi didn’t like when she messed up, but it meant the world to her that he had always been patient. He was gentle when angling her shoulders, telling her when her stance was off, and always smiling whenever she pierced the training dummies. Since the explosion in the plaza and Corrin’s departure to Nohr, they trained together – he taught her everything.

And then that changed.

He became irritable, _embittered_ , and every word that fell from his mouth was poison to Nohrian ears. And Sakura hates herself for not noticing sooner that something was eating away at his mind. Something changed in Takumi, and she failed as both healer and sister to have not noticed this.

Right.

If she had paid more attention, she could have...

“You’re trying out a new weapon?”

She doesn’t need to look to know it’s Roy, but she does anyway. And when the realization of their earlier talk sinks in, she exhales heavily. “I’m so sorry, I... forgot I was supposed t-to meet with you.”

“I spoke to Lucius,” he responds, sitting on the opposite end of the bench. “He told me you knew the patient.”

Sakura runs her finger along the bowstring, distracted.

“Was it the same with that guy we fought earlier? Arthur, was his name?”

“Yes,” she drops her hand into her lap. “He w-wasn’t the same Hinata I knew.”

Roy glances at her. She doesn’t move her head. “How’d you know?”

“Because,” Sakura clears her throat when the word comes out strained. “Because the Hinata I know is dead. He was killed b-by our enemy.”

She sees out of the corner of his eye the shock that races across his face. “I’m sorry. It was careless of me to ask—”

“No,” Sakura shakes her head. “You had n-no way of knowing. This Hinata talked about my brother. He w-was acting as if everything was fine. As if Hoshido was at peace. B-But I know it’s not. I am from a broken country, and I w-was trying to help my sister. Then I woke up here...”

Hinoka had apologized to her again and again. _The role of ambassador was not meant for you_ , is what she had said countless times. _If I could change it, go back and change_ everything, _I would._

 _But I want to help, Hinoka!_ she had protested. Her fingers would tremble atop the paper, a draft of the ‘peace treaty’ for Hoshido and Nohr. _I-It’s not fair f-for you to shoulder all the hurt._

That night, someone had called out to her in a dream.

A dream that spun her in its web during her fitful sleep. A mosaic of mixed images, the what she now recognizes as the Askr symbol flashing before her eyes, two countries at war, and a sea of people both familiar and not. Voices rang out, called her name, and whether it was curiosity or something else, Sakura stepped into the light as it shone brighter and brighter.

She remembers that much before coming here.

“That’s... actually what I wanted to talk about,” Roy says quietly. “When you met that version of Arthur, he made it clear he was from a different world. Meaning there must have been a decision that caused a split. One where your country was victorious, and...” he hesitates. “...another one.”

...Yes, that made sense.

There was one major decision that kickstarted the events.

Her perfect, brave, kind older sister. The one she always dreamed of reuniting with. A fantasy where Corrin would return to Hoshido and discard the mantle of Nohr. But instead, the day on the Hoshidan plains, Corrin made her choice.

‘ _I’m sorry, Sakura,_ ’ she had said, raising the Yato to her chest. Perhaps she really meant it at the time.

She didn’t know.

She never would.

“The healers you met earlier: Lucius and Serra,” he trains his eyes to the ground. “They were both from my world. I never met them, but my father talked about both. Serra became an acquaintance of a very close friend of mine. Though after the war, I fear the worst happened to her... Lucius too.”

Sakura’s eyes widen, mouth drying. They were... dead? “B-But they’re here. I-If they died, h-how can they be here?”

“Well, there’s one other thing,” the dirt grinds beneath his heel as he shifts. His eyebrows are furrowed, trying to piece together whatever puzzle floated in his mind. “They’re younger. If my time is anything to go by, they should be older – much older. This kingdom, Askr... It’s nothing like I’ve ever seen before. I’ve seen people who are no longer around in my world out on the battlefield. Then there are the people I _do_ know, but they don’t seem to remember me.”

Her heart stutters against her ribcage. A tremble slithers down her spine and she grips the bow harder to steady herself. Askr was both a blessing and a curse. “Why are you t-telling me this, Roy? W-Wouldn’t you feel more comfortable talking to someone from your world?”

He says nothing, clasps his hands together and Sakura catches the glint of a silver band around his index finger. “I guess... you just remind me of someone from home.”

“Really? What was she like...?”

His thumb brushes over the ring. A brilliant red stone that meshes perfectly with the silver. “She’s very kind, and she was given a heavy burden to bear. Even though it pained her, and the world turned against her, she still fought for the people. She was very different from her brother and she has a lot ahead of her. But I have faith in her.”

Sakura listens intently, tries to picture a brave young woman skilled in both the quill and the sword. A caring heart, a love for her people... Her mind created an image of someone who was everything Sakura wanted to be but couldn’t.

“I... I d-don’t think we have t-that much in common,” she mutters.

Roy shakes his head. “I disagree. I don’t know much about you, Princess Sakura, but if today and yesterday’s events are anything to go by, I know you’ve suffered. There’s a lot you may not want to tell me, and I understand. But while we’re here, I—”

He cuts off abruptly, head spinning to look to the right. As if it’s second nature, his hand grasps the hilt of his sword as he stands.

Sakura rises from the bench as well, bow in a frail grasp. “Roy? W-What’s wrong?”

But she sees it before he can respond. The figure is shrouded in purple mist that curls along his body, face shaded by the helmet on his head. He steps forward and stops. He watches them with an unreadable look before drawing his weapon.

“Someone from the training stratum?” Sakura gasps.

“Get back, Princess Sakura!”

 _I can fight!_ she wants to say, but the protest fails to leave her head as the swordsman switches his stance, breaking into a run with blade raised.

Roy kicks off the ground and the swords crash together loudly. He narrowly dodges a sharp thrust, an attack that would undoubtfully pierce his side before countering with an upward swing that knocks against the hilt. The swordsman sways from the force of the attack, stumbles back before Roy delivers a diagonal slash that would have split across the swordsman’s torso.

Mist streams from the laceration, the enemy unmindful as he lunges forward with a renewed vigor.

Sakura’s fingers tremble as she nocks an arrow, the sound of dancing swords making her ears ring. She raises her arms. She draws back to sees Roy and the intruder locked in a parry.

And then the fire explodes at her feet.

She screams in a twist of shock and pain, landing on her side, bow clattering a few feet away. Her hands nearly slip out from under her as a wave of vertigo swamps into her senses. She can hear Roy call her name. By the time she collects herself, the new intruder stands above her. Cradled in their arms is a red tome. Swirling around the hand that hovers over the book are intangible runes scribed in equally red print. Their lips move in a silent chant, and Sakura feels her heart leap into her throat.

_No... Not this. Not this again-!!_

Sakura throws herself at the discarded bow. Amid the adrenaline that lances through her veins, she rises from her crouch and swings the bow wildly. The upper limb smacks the wrist holding the tome, the tip clipping against their cheek. They recoil, and it gives Sakura enough time to reach for the scattered arrows.

Her movements are practiced, and this time the projectile buries itself in their forehead before they disappear in a crumble of dark dust. There’s the sound of sand shifting as they fall. Barely ten seconds pass after her enemy disappears when Roy’s does the same. She does not waste anymore time to hurry to his side when he falls to one knee.

“Roy! A-Are you okay?” she leans down, placing a hand on his back to survey the damage.

An angry, dark fissure runs along the back of his right forearm, fabric torn and wet from the blossoming of the blood. She doesn’t need to be an expert to know that the cut is deep. “Just got a little careless,” he grits out. “My sword arm too... _damn_.”

“Hold on, l-let me heal you!” She hurries to the bench to retrieve the Physic staff. Kneeling down with the staff secured between her chest and bent legs, she grasps his arm. Her fingers redden, but she doesn’t care, placing her other hand on the staff as she closes her eyes.

Magic lived within her. It was always there, ready to assist at her call. The staves in Askr were a barrier, limiting the amount of magic one could so naturally produce. Right now, Sakura pushes against that wall. Someone was hurt, and she was a _healer_.

The orb shimmers brightly, warmth beating against her fingertips. There’s a rush of cool air breathing against them as the light green wisps of the Mend spell touches the torn flesh of his arm. Roy winces, but she doesn’t remove her hand, watching as the magic weaves the wound closed. She doesn’t have anything to clean the blood though.

“There,” she sighs. “We should p-probably go to the other healers. Y-You should get it cleaned up.”

He hums in agreement, fingers tracing where the laceration once was. “Thank you, Princess Sakura. You’re very strong.”

She shakes her head, feels her face warming at the compliment. “N-No, I... all I can do is h-heal. I’m not strong at all.”

“Strength isn’t just about swinging a sword or shooting an arrow,” Roy says. “Healing is just as important as fighting. It can take a lot of courage to step forward and help.”

She inhales sharply. “It’s just... something I do. B-But I always worry that it’s n-not good enough. T-There were many lives I couldn’t s-save back home. Even though I had our s-strongest festals, s-sometimes it was too late.”

“Yet you continued on, didn’t you?” he shifts to sheathe the blade, offering a hand to Sakura as he stands. She takes it. “Why did you continue to fight in the war if these thoughts worried you?”

“Because,” Sakura swallows and thinks hard even though the answer swims to her mind instantly. “I can’t sit around and w-wait for the fighting to be over. I hate fighting and i-if I could give anything to end it, I would. I’m n-not the best healer, but if there’s some way I can help, I-I’m going to take it.”

Perhaps it’s the right answer because Roy gives a small smile, a quick dip of the head in understanding. “You can’t stand the thought of someone risking themselves for you, can you?”

“No. If something happened to m-my family, and they got hurt protecting me...” _My sister_. “...I w-would never be able to live with myself.”

He looks at her.

Sakura looks back.

“You know, it sounds as if we have more in common than I thought,” Roy says, breaking the silence. “Back home, I had a friend who asked I stay off the front lines. He was an honorable knight and I didn’t doubt his skill. But if I hid in the back while my army fought, what type of leader would that make me?”

“They... would have lost faith in you.”

“Yes. In battle, everyone works as a team. Even if some of us can’t fight, we still function together,” (Sakura notices how he smooths the ring with his thumb again. A nervous habit, perhaps?) “To stand up to something that we don’t like takes strength. And you have that, Princess Sakura. So don’t sell yourself so short.”

She blinks. Once. Twice. Something flutters in her chest in response to the praise. It’s odd. Though she’s been welcomed by Alfonse and the others, it was Roy’s words that put her at ease, clamed the snarling anxiety inside of her. “I’ll try not to.”

“Good,” he laughs. “By the way, I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone use a bow like that.”

 _Now_ she flushes, clutching the staff to her chest. “W-Well I don’t- I mean, I don’t _normally_... I-I guess I panicked.”

“Hey!”

They both start at the third voice that rings in the courtyard. Standing by the open doors are Aflonse and Sharena. It’s Sharena who runs over to them first. “We heard an explosion go off followed by a scream. Is everything okay? Are you hurt?” her eyes catch on Roy’s blood-stained sleeve. “Oh gods—”

“It’s okay, Princess Sharena,” Roy assures, raising his hands defensively. “Princess Sakura healed me.”

Alfonse surveys the courtyard with a trained eye, a hand on the hilt of Fólkvangr. “Who attacked you?”

“I don’t know,” Roy responds. “They looked like the enemies we fought in the stratums, but they knew how to fight. They were quick to pick up on my fighting style and I hadn’t known another one snuck in until I heard Sakura.”

She nods in agreement. Now that she thinks about it, Roy was right. They _hadn’t_ heard the other enemy. Were these enemies even _from_ the Training Tower? Where they were from, they were obviously trained in the art of stealth.

Worry breaks out on Sharena’s face. “Brother...”

“Maybe,” Alfonse sighs. “This is the first time enemies have been able to make it past the gates. Enemies don’t come near because they crumble to dust if they get too close. But for two of them to enter without any repercussions... That would mean...”

“...Someone’s summoning them from the inside.” Roy finishes quietly.

And Sakura feels the fear curl in her chest as Alfonse nods in agreement.

“I don’t want to admit it, but it’s a possibility. We may very well have a spy among our ranks.”

Sharena lowers her head. “It can’t be though... Why would one of the Heroes try to harm us?”

“Unless it’s someone from Embla, I can’t answer that. But I haven’t heard of anyone suspicious passing the gates,” Alfonse sounds tired, as if the possibility of a traitor has drained him of whatever energy he had left. “I’ll talk to Commander Anna; she speaks with the Heroes more than we do. And I’ll ask Kiran if she’s summoned anyone ‘questionable’ as of late.”

A traitor...

Not again.

“Lord Roy, Princess Sakura,” she hears him say, but she can’t bring herself to speak. “My utmost apologies for what happened tonight. I’ll increase the security around this area. For now, get some rest – you both deserve it.”

“Thank you, Prince Alfonse,” Roy says, and Sakura follows suit, bidding them both a farewell as they exit the training grounds.

Alfonse isn’t the only one who seems weary at the possibility. The word ‘traitor’ sings at the back of her mind, chanting in time with the echo of their footfalls in the barren hallway. She had not talked to many Heroes since arriving, so she couldn’t come up with any candidates.

“Are you okay?”

The lie is already at the tip of her tongue, already prepared from the constant practice she instills in herself. But she pushes it aside. “I’m... worried. I-If there is someone calling them here, then w-what if someone else gets hurt?”

In the quiet of night, her voice is loud to her own ears.

“I know how you feel,” Roy agrees. “Loathe as I am to admit, I don’t think this is something to be shared with other heroes. Not yet, at least. Saying anything now could potentially turn everyone on one another.”

Sakura nods. She knows the tactics of a traitor. “Yes, and t-that may be what they want...”

Silence drips by in the dark.

“Um, I should get going...” she says lamely. “But t-thank you for earlier, Roy. I-It means a lot for you to say that.”

“I’m glad it helped, and I look forward to talking with you again. Perhaps under better circumstances though.”

She can’t stop the giggle from bubbling. “T-That would be lovely,” she steps deeper into the hallway, hoping she can remember where her room is through the twists and turns of the castle. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Roy.”

“Good night, Princess Sakura.”

“Oh, wait!” he stops, she continues. “Please, just call me ‘Sakura’.”

“Sakura...” he stills, as if trying to adjust himself to unlatch the title from her name. “Very well then.”

And she smiles. “Good night, Roy.”

She doesn’t even bother changing upon entering her room, throwing herself under the covers immediately. Fatigue sucks her into a heavy, but restless sleep.

At some point in her dreams, she sees the face of her elder sister. Her white hair and red eyes are unmistakable. She fixes her brothers and sisters – her _real_ family – with a saddened gaze before turning to walk towards Nohr,

Sakura does not try to stop her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What're your thoughts?


	4. 傷 (Kizu) - Crack

満開 ( _Mankai) -_ full bloom

* * *

 

The days begin to blend together and soon Sakura isn’t sure how long she’s been here. But she finds her heart is at ease, and when she returns from the Training Tower, she makes a habit of visiting the clinic. There are different patients each day with wounds worse than others. Aside from Hinata, she does not see anyone she recognizes. Soon, she finds herself keeping an eye out for a boy with red hair, praying she will never see him in one of these beds.

“You’re healing up well,” Sakura says, leaning her staff against the wall.

Hinata laughs, “Thanks to you. Even in Askr, you’re still the best healer!”

“Oh, no, there are others w-with much more experience...”

When Sakura was prepared, she had confronted Hinata. They talked about Hoshido – _home._ Her suspicions about Hinata being from another world were confirmed. This wasn’t her Hinata, and she wasn’t his Sakura. The Takumi she knew and loved was different from the Takumi Hinata served. Sakura glossed over the details of the war, unable to delve into the brutality of the Nohrian army.

Through it all, Hinata had remained uncharacteristically quiet. He could only offer an apology and a futile wish to swap places with her.

“ _No_ ,” she had said. “ _I-It wouldn’t be the same._ ”

They had just been bound by different fates and Sakura drew the short straw.

“So can I leave today?”

She hears the eagerness in his voice and can’t help the timid smile that touches her lips. “I-I’m sorry. The wounds are gone, yes, but Lucius and I t-think it’s better if you spend one more day here.”

“Aw man,” he falls back against the pillow with a sigh. “I’m itchin’ to get back out there. And I could protect you if we’re sent on a mission.”

“It’s okay, Hinata,” she thinks back to the events that took place a few nights ago. She put aside the bow when out in the field, focusing instead on using the staff. ‘ _Healing is just as important as fighting_.’ “I can take care of myself.”

He makes a noise in the back of his throat, bringing his arms up to lean against them. “You sound pretty sure, but Lord Takumi would kill me if something happened.”

 _But he’s not here, is he? Not here, not back in Hoshido..._ She averts her gaze to the bed spread. “A-After mother died, I-I had to learn to defend myself. When Hoshido began to fall...” _I still couldn’t do anything._ “...I knew I had to fight.”

“Lady Sakura...”

There’s the beat of silence between them, unsure of what to say. Sakura’s seen too much, witnessed ruthless slaughtering of her people even after she willingly surrendered. A distaste for the Nohrians sunk deep in her heart. And she’s not sure if she can overcome it. She doesn’t know about the Sakura in Hinata’s world. But if Takumi and Ryoma were still alive, then Not-Her would undeniably be happy.

Was it possible to be jealous of yourself?

She swallows. “Um... Hinata?”

“Hm?”

There are too many questions sitting on her tongue. She wants to ask, but she knows if she does, she won’t stop. Something lodges itself in her throat, and it’s suddenly hard to speak. “Never mind,” she forces the words around the lump, feeling her eyes grow heavy. She grabs the staff. “I-I’ll come back later tonight. Until then, p-please get some rest.”

Hinata does not call for her, and Sakura’s glad he doesn’t. Because he is the closest and farthest thing away from home.

And she doesn’t want to think about a life that could have been.

* * *

 

She has grown used to the battlefield. Her distaste for fighting has yet to be quelled.

No matter what, Sakura will _always_ hate fighting. She can’t help flinching away when one of her teammates cuts down an enemy or scorches their flesh in tongues of flame. Though it does not happen often, a killing blow that fails its task is the _worst_. For as cunning as their enemies can be, they are not human. So when an arrow lodges itself in a swordsman’s neck, he doesn’t drop to the ground as a _normal human_ would. Instead, he flounders for his dropped sword, writhing in mute agony as purple mist cascades from the injury.

A quick spell would heal him, but they are the enemy. She must remind herself this: They are the enemy. They are not human. They will hurt her and her allies.

The second arrow buries into his neck. For all his foolishness, Virion knew the art of war. He knew to put something out of its misery instead of leaving it to suffer.

For that, Sakura is grateful.

This day, their team is composed of herself, Virion, Raven, and Stahl. And when she sees Virion and Stahl talking amiably, she finds herself missing Roy, wishing he hadn’t been moved to another group. Oh yes, she tries to speak to him, but her own shyness leaves her tongue twisted and she can only stutter and bow... which leaves her wanting to see Roy even more.

“It’s nice to meet you, Lady Sakura,” Stahl says. “Forgive me for being late, I uh... didn’t grab anything to eat this morning.”

He is kind though, and she would never wish harm on him – on anyone. She appreciates his gentle yet clumsy nature. With time, if fate would allow it, maybe they could be friends.

But of course, fate was hardly patient with her.

“I’ve got bad news.”

Commander Anna summons them to the war council upon their return. She approaches them with an uncharacteristically stern gaze and Sakura feels the sense of foreboding leaning against her back. “It seems more enemies have been piling into other worlds. No doubt the work of Embla trying to gain more heroes to use against us. Which means we’ll have to break them of their contract if we want them to join.”

The rectangular table that sits in the middle of the room is covered by a map of Askr and hasty drawings of other worlds. There are icons made of gold that indicate teams – or so Sakura thinks. They bear similarity to the pieces Yukimura would place when mapping out an impending battle. She sees the name ‘Ylisse’ and ‘Valentia’, halting her brief search upon seeing the word ‘Nohr’ scribbled in angry black ink. Written next to the title is ‘Team 4’ with her name, Virion, Roy, and Raven.

“Name the place and we’ll go there right now,” Raven says, impatient cutting into his voice. “The sooner, the better.”

And then Anna hesitates.

Sakura looks away.

“We... try not to send out the same team twice because it drains the heroes,” Anna frowns, eyes sliding to Raven. “Plus, there are other teams that could use the experience. Though you and your group have been doing splendidly, you’re not strong enough to face the enemies in this next world. And with how fast Embla’s forces are spreading, we may have to send two teams to two separate worlds.”

Raven scoffs, “I can take down anyone who gets in my way. The only way I’m gonna grow stronger, is if I’m out there fighting.”

“Then I’m ordering you to stay here.”

“Is there a reason you’re not telling us which worlds these are, my dear?” Virion cuts in. There’s no contempt in his voice, but there is a desire to know.

Anna falls silent. She waits. She looks at Sakura.

“We’ve been to them before you joined us, but it looks like we’ll be going back,” She exhales, as if preparing herself for news Sakura does not want to hear. “One of them is Elibe. We went to Elibe in the very beginning and faced against Lord Roy and his allies.”

Confusion washes over her. “But does that mean Roy was against you?”

“No,” Anna assures. “The Roy that fights for us is not the same Roy as the one in the World of Binding. We freed that one from his contract, so he was able to return home. I’m not entirely sure where this one comes from, but that’s not my point.” She faces Raven. “Are you willing to dive into Elibe again? You may face someone you know?”

His earlier bravado gone, Raven’s answer is suddenly reluctant. Sakura wonders if he’s going to back out, to retract his words. Instead, “Friend or not... They’re not the same people I know. They’re all from different times and worlds. We may both be from Elibe, but they know of a different land. So yes, send me out.”

For once, Sakura wishes she had Raven’s indifference. She thinks back to Arthur and Hinata. They knew the countries, the people, but their stories were different – as was hers. But she doesn’t know if she can bring herself to fight them.

A look of disappointment crosses her face, but whatever scathing words Anna may have had for Raven fail to flee her mouth. “If that’s your decision, then I won’t argue. You’ll be with the second team to go to Elibe. As for the first, we’ll need someone who can use a bow and someone who can heal. There are two enemies that have what they call ‘Divine Weapons’...”

Whatever Anna says next falls on deaf ears. Sakura feels her heart drop as she pictures the Raijinto and Fujin Yumi in Ryoma and Takumi’s hands respectively. She remembers the feeling of awe welling in her chest as they defended their allies from their enemies. The shock of electiricty and the razor-sharp winds... It is not too long that Sakura has forgotten their abilities and their ties with the elements.

“Lady Sakura?” Stahl nudges her arm and she blinks. “Are you okay? You look kinda pale...”

Sakura shakes her head, as if to clear the images from her head. “Y-Yes, I’m fine... Just a little tired.”

Anna drops her gaze to the map, sticking a token on a country Sakura cannot fully see. “It’s probably best if you stay here, Lady Sakura,” she scribbles something next to the token. “I’m not saying that you haven’t grown, but...”

And that sense of foreboding, that anxiety that began grumbling in her chest? It’s all too much and she can feel it pushing for release as Anna heaves a defeated sigh.

“The other world is Hoshido. It’s... Hoshido that has been invaded by Embla.”

Sakura trembles. She feels her hands and shoulder shake violently, and no matter how much she wills herself to still, she cannot. The room is suddenly very tight and it’s hard to breathe. There’s a torrent of emotions spinning inside of her, and she surprises them, surprises _herself_ when she speaks.

“I’m going.”

“But... Lady Sakura, if you go, that means—”

“ _I know_!” she catches the rise of urgency in her voice. But she can’t refuse this. She needs to see for herself. “I know t-that I may see everyone again... A-And if what Raven says, I-I may have to f-fight them too. You said they were under a contract, right? I-If we break it, then m-maybe I could...”

 _‘...could_ what _? Talk to them_?’

“Lady Sakura, it’s best if we don’t,” Anna pauses, as if choosing her words carefully. “Involve ourselves with people who share the same origin but are from different times. Too much interaction before the contract is broken risks spilling more information to the enemies. It is the easiest way for them to find the chink in our armor since everything we say is relayed back to Embla. And if you decide to speak to them after the contract is broken, you risk trapping them in this world.”

A part of Sakura, a part that has been buried and suppressed since she was 7, wells up inside of her. For once, she wants to be selfish. For once, she wants to see her family and be with them again. Once more, she wants to hear Ryoma and Takumi’s voice.

“I won’t prevent you from going to Hoshido, but I want you to think this decision over. After I speak with Kiran and Alfonse, I’ll have them relay the message to you about your team.” Anna is concerned for her – Sakura knows this. But she doesn’t want to be pitied. “Don’t feel like you can’t back out of this.”

Not trusting her voice, Sakura nods.

* * *

 

She abandons the idea of going to the clinic shortly after the meeting. A need to tell Hinata prods at her mind, but she doesn’t want to see him. Not when her head is full of overwhelming, possible scenarios of seeing her deceased brothers tomorrow. She knows she may see Hinoka too, and maybe even a version of herself. It would cause much confusion, but she didn’t care. Her real brothers were gone, but that doesn’t mean she’d throw away a chance of seeing them again.

Outside of Askr’s walls, she finds herself standing before a headstone. Etched into its face is the insignia of a tree and below her feet is the exact spot she had been summoned. Without Kiran, the tree is colorless and does not pulse with energy. In fact, Sakura cannot feel _anything_ in these grounds. She had the blood of the Dawn Dragon in her veins, but in that moment, she couldn’t detect life.

Sakura wonders if she prays at this stone if it will take her home. If this will all just be some bad dream and she’ll wake up into the nightmare that she shares with her sister.

“Excuse me...”

She starts, turning around quickly. “Oh, I’m sorry...”

The figure is cloaked in white and gold, hood drawn over her head. Sakura hasn’t said a word to Kiran since arriving. “You’re fine,” she says, tilting her weapon. As she does, dull colored orbs tumble to the ground. “But I’m going to get ready for a summon, so I’ll need you to stand off the platform.”

“R-Right...”

She moves. Kiran flicks her wrist and the barrel of the weapon snaps back into place. Perhaps Sakura stares too long because Kiran notices. “I guess they don’t have guns where you’re from, huh?”

Sakura blinks. “Guns?”

“My bad,” Kiran chuckles, as if embarrassed. “You guys have canons and ballistae, but I forget you’re all from an earlier time than me. In my world, all of that stuff is outdated. Now they just cram them in museums and charge people if they want to look.”

Her manner of speaking is different, Sakura notices. It’s not formal, but it’s not so crude that Sakura finds herself withdrawing.

In a way, Kiran reminds her of Hinoka before the war. She always knew Hinoka was serious, dedicated to one cause, but her sister’s bluntness never faltered. Now bearing under a crown that was not hers, Hinoka was beginning to wean away from such informal speech when in public.

“So is there a reason you’re out here? You’re that princess from Hoshido, aren’t you?”

She nods. “Y-Yes... Do you remember me?”

“Yeah. Commander Anna also talks about you a bit during council meetings,” she traces the branches of the drawing in stone. “She also told me Hoshido is under attack. Embla opened another portal and more enemies are flowing in. They may have everyone there under contract.”

Sakura says nothing.

“...Sorry, that was insensitive,” Kiran steps away as the stone breathes to life. A blue stained orb materializes at the center of the tree as Kiran steps off the platform. “I don’t know your whole story, but from what I’ve been told, you’ve got quite a history. I can’t imagine going back to my home world under such circumstances.”

She clasps her hands together against her lap, staring hard at the floor. “I-If you don’t mind me asking... Where d-did you come from, Kiran?”

Her shoulders stiffen before her shoulders lift in a shrug. “It’s pretty different from here. There are a lot of buildings and cars- er, modern carriages, I guess. Honestly, I don’t understand why I’m here. I’m not a special person back in my world, don’t always get the best grades... But I figure that as long as I’m here, I should do my best to help out. Maybe I’ll find out a way to return home. Though it’ll be a bit harder now that I’ve gotten to know some of you.”

“Y-You...” Sympathy swells in Sakura’s heart. “...can’t go home?”

“No,” she says quietly. “I don’t know if I can until I play my part, or if I’m here until the very end.”

“...I’m sorry.”

Kiran looks at her, and from Sakura’s perspective, she can see how Kiran’s lips twist into a confused smirk. “What’re you apologizing for? It just can’t be helped. I have to adapt and try to keep my head up until I _do_ find it.”

She doesn’t know what to say, so she nods, tries to smile even if it’s small. The orb waits patiently, reminding Sakura that she should probably leave Kiran to summon. It was odd how one small object had the potential to pull someone from their home. She should feel upset, angry that Kiran summoned her. But looking at Kiran, listening to her, it was hard for Sakura to summon any ire. And really, she’s just tired. Tired of everything.

“I-I’ve taken up a lot of your time,” Sakura bows. “P-Please excuse me.”

Kiran says nothing, opting instead to grasp the levitating orb and load it into the weapon.

* * *

 

“Are you sure?”

No, she’s not. She wants to go to Hoshido, but she also doesn’t. She fears how her siblings will react upon seeing her. She fears she’ll cause them more confusion and bring them pain and conflict. It’s the _last_ thing Sakura wants to do. But she wants to see them together – even if they aren’t her real siblings, even if they already have a Sakura with them.

“W-What about you though? Isn’t a-another team going to Elibe?”

“Yeah, but...” he trails off.

The sun is beginning its descent on the horizon, the cooling air nipping at her arms. Their voices are loud in the empty courtyard, an indication that they had to leave soon. Since the incident, security had been raised and a curfew had been placed to avoid another midnight ambush. Sakura had traded the bow for the staff, practicing the combat abilities it harnessed on stagnant targets. Running into Roy just happened to be a coincidence.

Not necessarily a bad one though...

“I think I’d feel better knowing if you were okay,” Roy admits. They doors to the courtyard close behind them as they step into the hallway lined with weapons. “If one group is going to Elibe, they may run into another version of me, or maybe my father...”

“I would think you’d want to see your father though...”

“You’re right: I do. But I don’t know if I could raise my blade against him. Even if he’s not the same father I know, he’s still _him_ ,” he says, placing his practice sword on the weapon rack. Sakura glimpses the ring on his finger again. “Back home, my father is very sick. He can barely hold a sword and can’t fight like he used to.”

A twinge of guilt hits her, and Sakura finds herself ducking her head. “I-I’m sorry... I didn’t know.”

There are some things even magic can’t fix. Healing spells could mend wounds, stitch light fractures. But they could not purge sickness from one’s body.

“No, it’s alright,” Roy smiles lightly, as if to reassure her, but it fails to reach his eyes. “You had no way of knowing. There’s a lot I haven’t told you.”

She says nothing as the guards come into view. A quick ‘thank you’ and bidding goodnight is all that leaves her lips before they are alone again in the main hall. It’s eerily quiet without other heroes bustling about, but Sakura doesn’t find it uncomfortable in the least. She always found it easier to relax when there was no sound.

Her eyes flicker to the ring, and it reminds her of the ring Ryoma had crafted for Corrin upon her return. Bitterness flickers inside her at the thought. After all, Corrin never stayed with her _real_ family so all the time into making it went into nothing. They all waited for her, eager to welcome her home only for her to turn her back on them. Ryoma’s determination, Hinoka’s training, mother’s relieved yet sad eyes when her _real_ daughter returned home...

And because of Corrin, Sakura almost lost everything.

She feels her hands clench, then unclench, clenching again.

“C-Could I ask you a question?”

He blinks, confused. “Sure.”

She locks her eyes on the ring. “I-I noticed you wear that into battle... I was just wondering who gave it to you?”

“Oh,” and something in Roy’s expression drops. He eases the ring off his finger, staring at the red stone that glints back. “My father did... He gave it to me after my mother passed away. Called it ‘Nini’s Grace’.”

“Your mother...” Sakura says slowly. “You lost your mother too?”

“I was only four and too young to remember everything, but she would tell me stories about Ilia and dragons. When she was healthy, sometimes she’d dance,” he holds the ring in the palm of his hand, reaching out to Sakura. “This was hers. It aided my mother in battle. When she wore this and danced, it would fill her allies with a special power.”

Now that she sees it up close, it’s a modest-looking ring. Sakura recalls the pendant adorning Azura’s neck. Whenever she sung, it glowed with an intense light and filled everyone with renewed vigor. But for all the power it gave, Sakura noticed something _wrong._ Sometimes Azura would clutch her chest painfully and wheeze, other times she’d have a violent coughing fit.

She remembers the time she hurried to Azura’s side, concerned as she crumbled to her knees. The Sun Festal glowed brightly as the incantation danced along her tongue, but Azura simply placed a hand on her forearm, shaking her head slowly. Her voice, soft and like the singing of windchimes, swept over her, “ _Don’t waste your magic on me, Sakura. There are some wounds you cannot heal_.” she had paused. “ _Please save it for someone who needs it more than I._ ”

Sakura didn’t understand what she meant then, and she didn’t now. She _does_ know that the pendant was more than just a magical trinket.

But in the end, nothing mattered. Azura disappeared without a trace, no doubt sucked under by the torrents of war.

Nini’s Grace is beautiful. She does not dare to touch it, but she senses an almost _cool_ warmth from the stone itself. As if Roy’s mother was looking after him through this tragic keepsake. And she wants to comfort Roy, to be there for him like he has for her.

“I-I’m sorry Roy, i-it... it must have been v-very hard for you. T-To lose someone so important when you were _that young_...”

“It was,” he says simply, shifting his grip so he holds the ring between his thumb and index finger. “In the beginning, father and Sir Marcus helped me through it. They would talk about her and talk of stories that happened during the war. Once Sir Marcus told me of how father and mother met. I guess I looked to them for comfort more than I thought.”

Silence drips by. Sakura says nothing.

“As I grew older, I realized how terribly father missed her. So, I talked about mother less and less; I realized he was shouldering a lot of pain just to help me. In the end, I was just being selfish.”

“T-That’s not selfish though!” she exclaims, mentally backpedaling to reel herself in. “There’s n-nothing wrong with w-wanting to know about your parents or turning to them for help. You noticed your father was upset, s-so you closed yourself off to p-protect him. That tells me that you _do_ care.” Almost timidly, she adds, “I-I think it means y-you have a good heart, Roy.”

She finds herself embarrassed at her choice of words, prepared to apologize if necessary. But if Roy thinks her phrasing is poor, he certainly doesn’t show it.

“...Thank you, Sakura. It’s nice hearing someone say that. I appreciate it.”

There are many times where her heart speaks before her head. Often does she scold herself for speaking out of line. Now, she couldn’t feel the stab of regret that normally followed an outburst. She almost felt _satisfied,_ as if glad she could reach out to Roy without muttering apologies again and again.

It’s a refreshing feeling, a splash of cold water that wakes her from the vortex that deteriorates and feasts on anything that isn’t regret or sadness.

If only she could have been this forward with Hinoka.

With _all_ her siblings.

“...You said ‘too’?” Roy’s voice snaps her out of her thoughts. She regards him with confusion. “Your mother.”

She swallows, not wanting to lie nor tell. But he trusted her with his, so what left was there to hide? So she nods. She nods, she nods...

“Yes, she... m-my mother was killed.”

He looks at her, astonished and sad. It’s an odd combination. “That’s horrible...”

“Yes,” she grips the staff, feels it tremble in her quivering hands. “She died p-protecting my...” Sakura’s words dangle, suspended as they struggle for purchase. In the end she swallows them down, bowing her head in shame. “N-Never mind... It’s not i-important...”

...She’s not ready after all.

Queen Mikoto had died in _Corrin’s_ arms. The cries of ‘mother’ fell on dead ears as Sakura stumbled over only to be halted by Ryoma. She had fallen to her hands and knees then, and everything hurt. It wasn’t physical pain, no, but rather something breaking apart inside of her, something that created a hole. A place where a parent should be. Mother became a hole where a tooth was missing, the gap that tore apart the canyons between Hoshido and Nohr, a blank space at the table.

And when it was over, when Corrin turned to Nohr after mother’s sacrifice, Sakura cried. She cried for the innocent Hoshidans. She cried for the loss of her mother. She would have let the tears fall had she not felt Roy’s hand atop hers, stilling her tremoring grip. Her fingers are sore as she wills herself to relax.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” he says softly. “It’s hard no matter how old you are.”

Her mind is struck and dazed as she becomes less and less aware of her surroundings. It’s suddenly all too _much_ —

He sighs, retracting his hand. “I’m so sorry, Sakura.”

Something in his voice tells her that he speaks from experience. As if he knew someone their age that lost a parent through fighting as well.

(But Mother wasn’t fighting... She was _innocent_ , her mind argues.)

There are questions – there always are – but Sakura doesn’t pry. Not when all she can think about is mother and Corrin. She doesn’t want to tell Roy how the war between Hoshido and Nohr sparked. The strain had been there for ages, stretched by her mother and King Garon, and sparked aflame the day Corrin made her decision. There never _was_ a peaceful solution.

That was, she realizes bitterly, the art of war.

And suddenly, the quiet atmosphere is no longer inviting. Roy is here, but there are times when his voice cannot drown out her thoughts. So she gives a small smile and shifts her hand from his. “T-Thank you... I a-appreciate it. B-But I should r-return to my room if I-I’m to go to Hoshido tomorrow.”

He nods in understanding but says nothing.

She turns.

Her face is wet.

* * *

 

Sakura does not sleep.

What she does manage is a pitiful three or four hours before lying in bed until her stomach begins to twist in hunger. She keeps the staff strapped to her side as she wanders the castle. It isn’t until she passes by the clinic does she think of Hinata. To go to Hoshido without him didn’t feel right. Though he is a different Hinata, Hoshido was still his home. But she wonders if he could raise a sword against Takumi. Sakura doesn’t know if she can fight her siblings. She assured Anna she was prepared, but would she be able to cast damaging spells if push came to shove?

Her team today is different and they’re missing the other two people. The other team member is a young girl with green hair. An unfamiliar face.

“Are you with Team 3?” she asks as Sakura walks closer. “I heard we’re supposed to go to a place called ‘Hoshido’.”

Sakura’s heart stutters at the name. It was odd hearing the name of her country uttered by someone from a foreign world. She’s definitely _not_ Hoshidan but she _could_ be from Nohr... “Yes, w-where are the others?”

“I’m not sure,” she says, and Sakura sees this girl wields a tome. Definitely not Hoshidan, she confirms. “Prince Alfonse wants us to wait for everyone on our team to arrive so we can leave together.”

She nods, giving an affirmative hum. The main hall of Askr is livelier than it was at night. She sees groups of people and sometimes one person by themselves. Feh sleeps on her post, or so Sakura thinks until she cracks an eye open at a passerby. It was hard to tell with that owl. Supposedly she delivered gifts, but Sakura had yet to see anything. Perhaps Kiran gathered them before the other Heroes woke.

“So... You’re a healer, right?”

Sakura turns to the girl, startled. “O-Oh, yes... I-I’m not very strong, b-but I can heal...”

“That’s very interesting,” the girl muses. “We have healers in Elibe and I heard the spells are the same. But the incantations vary from place to place.”

 _Elibe?_ “Y-You’re from Elibe?”

“Yes. My name’s Nino, I’m a mage of...” she stops herself and her demeanor practically crumbles to something more solemn. “I mean, I’m a mage from Elibe. I fought for Lord Eliwood and Lord Hector.”

There’s a dark history there, Sakura knows. She recognizes the look, has seen it on her own face when she stares into the mirror, has seen it in Hinoka’s eyes during exceedingly long meetings. And maybe once, _once,_ she glimpsed it on Corrin’s face immediately after mother’s death. But whatever Corrin’s history was did not concern Sakura. She had obviously been raised in Nohr as one of their own.

“I-It’s nice to meet you, Nino,” she says, hoping to divert the topic. Her introduction flows off her tongue, recited since her arrival. “My name is Sakura, I’m a princess from Hoshido.”

“Hoshido?” There’s a pause. Sakura watches as her brows knit together in concentration, as if choosing her next words carefully. “If you’re their princess... Does that mean you’ll have to fight your family?”

She wants to _see_ them, not fight them. All last night as she tossed and turned, she tried to prepare herself, picturing facing off against people who shared the same face as her siblings. The brothers and sisters she would see are not the same ones who grew up with her.

She has to remember that, she has to, she has to...

“Yes, but I-I can do it,” the lie is as false in her head as it is on her tongue.

Nino looks at her, expression unreadable. Then she turns her head, clutching her tome close to her chest. “It’s... terrible when families must fight one another. If there was no war, there would be no need for _any_ fighting. Everyone could live peacefully.”

“I agree. War destroys m-many things and I-I’ve seen family turn on one another as well. D-Did you—” she clears her throat as the words catch. “Did you have to f-fight someone you care about?”

“That’s...” Nino hesitates. “It’s a long story. But you don’t have to go to Hoshido with us, Sakura. You still have a chance to turn back or go to another world.”

“No, I-I’ve made my decision.”

“But why would you risk fighting your family?”

_Because I miss. It’s selfish, but that’s why I want to see them. Even if... they raise their weapons against me, I just want to see them. They’re not my real siblings, but can’t I be allowed a tiny bit of happiness?_

Thoughts are chased out of her as their remaining group arrive. She’s not too surprised to see Roy, and she makes a note to thank him fully later. When the fourth person follows behind, Sakura feels her stomach drop.

It’s unmistakable from her ivory hair to her red eyes and pointed ears. The Yato blade is nowhere in sight, but she wields a blue stone in her right hand. Her outfit is neither Hoshido or Nohr. It is the plain white and black that she wore when they first met. She’s as awestruck as she was when she first arrived in Hoshido, and Sakura feels dread pool into her dropped stomach as Corrin sees her. She had always looked forward to getting to know her older sister, to make her smile and happy.

But now, she feels hollow.

“Sakura!” Corrin rushes forward and at first Sakura thinks she’s going to hug her. “You’re here too? I’m so glad to see a familiar face.”

She hopes the discomfort does not show on her face, and she curses whatever gods thought this was funny. Of all the people to meet in Askr, why _Corrin_? Why the one person she couldn’t bear to face? Instead of returning her enthusiasm, Sakura bows her head, forces herself to smile. “H-Hello, Corrin. Y-You’re the first person t-to come to Askr f-from our world.”

It’s selfish, but she does not want to tell Corrin of Hinata. Now that he wasn’t holed up in the clinic, he could be out in the field. _Let her figure it out herself_ , something dark whispers inside of her. _She’s so used to having_ everything _handed to her. Besides, do you want to risk that Hinata meeting this Corrin?_

“Are we ready?” Roy speaks. “We should hurry.”

The entire walk to the outrealm portals is short but torturous. She tries to stick by Roy’s side, avoiding eye contact with Corrin, who Nino has grown fond of. Sakura’s legs feel stiff and she flinches when she hears Corrin laugh lightly. They’re talking about dragonstones and magic... How normal.

Maybe in the past she would have felt jealous of Nino’s quick attachment to her sister. Sakura, at one point, had been envious of Elise’s relationship with Corrin.

She finds herself at a familiar looking headstone and platform. Instead of colored orbs, a vortex is suspended in midair. Through its rippling image, she can make out the clear sky of the Hoshidan plains. Once again, home has never felt so close yet so far away.

“Sakura?”

“Yes?” she looks at Roy, forcing herself not to glance as Corrin steps forward to inspect the portal with Nino.

Lowering his voice, he continues, “You’re avoiding her. Did something happen between you two back home?”

That was one way of putting it. It’s too early and her story is too long to spill _everything_ now. She just needed more time...

“Yes... Corrin is—”

“I guess I’ll have to get used to fighting with this,” Corrin backtracks to them, the dragonstone cradled in her hands. “I’m more proficient with a sword, but you can rely on me. I’ve had plenty of experience in different forms of combat. Right, Sakura?”

“U-um,” she feels called out. “Yes!”

Corrin smiles. Sakura averts her eyes.

“You’re a dragon?” Roy asks, curiosity evident in his voice. She wonders why.

Corrin nods. “Well, kind of. I’m human, but even I don’t know how I got this ability.”

“Hmm...” His attention draws to the stone.

“I’d be happy to talk to you more later. For now, let’s break the hold they have on Hoshido.” She turns, glances at Sakura over her shoulder. “I’ll protect you, so just stay close to me.”

 _I don’t_ need _your help,_ she nearly snaps. Her hand curls into a fist and the portal flares with white light, Hoshido rippling. Ignoring Corrin, blocking out the rest of her team, she allows herself to walk back into Hoshido.

* * *

 

Traveling through a portal is a different experience. Immediately her body feels weightless, and she feels a tugging sensation at her gut before being dragged. Her vision is filled with an intense light and her limbs are unresponsive. She is at the mercy of the portal as it flings her from one world to another.

Sound clogs her ears and a blue sky looms over as she comes to. She ccan never forget the smell of the grass, the caress of familiar wind across plains. And it’s all so real that she could laugh – Hoshido is _here_. She exhales sharply and her throat tightens.

Home.

She was home. What else could it be?

In a perfect scenario, she would hurry to Castle Shirasagi and apologize to Hinoka for making her worry. It was such a simple plan, and her mind conjured an image of her older sister pulling her into one of those rare hugs that had gradually become _common_ since their brothers died. She would double her efforts to make up for all that she missed. She would visit mother’s shrine and her brothers’ as she did every morning. She would seek out Hana and Subaki.

But instead, she sees an offered hand and the face of another older sister.

The daydream is harshly ripped away, and Sakura has half a mind not to take Corrin’s hand. But she lets Corrin pull her up, because as much as the anger spins in her stomach, she cannot bring herself to be outright disdainful to another. So she endures like she always does, says thanks so quietly she wonders if Corrin even _hears_ it, and walks with her to the rest of their group.

She does not know where they should go, whether she will see enemies or her siblings. But every step on the Hoshidan Plains is as fresh as its air. Even if Corrin is here, Sakura doesn’t let it deter her. In the carnage of war, the green sea of grass had been dried yellow and blackened from both death and magic.

Here it is as if nothing has happened.

As they wander further, she approaches the bank of the river that cracks across the ground. In the distance, she can see the dirt path that weaves between the trees and leads to Castle Shirasagi. At first Sakura’s puzzled, but as it slowly turns into realization, she finds her feet drawing to a halt.

She whips around. “We’re on...”

“...Nohr’s side.”

“But why...? W-Why would the portal take us o-outside Hoshido?”

It is not Corrin who answers this time, but Nino. “It may be where the outsiders appear. When I used one of the portals, my team was placed outside the fortress. To them, we’re no different from our enemies.”

“Remind me again: What exactly are we supposed to do?” Corrin asks.

“Heroes that are raided by Embla are under a contract,” Roy explains. “Prince Alfonse and the others are working to rid Princess Veronica’s forces by breaking her hold on people in various worlds. If we can defeat them in battle, we free them.”

“You’re saying we may have to fight someone we know, right?”

“We’ll have to be prepared for anything. Will you be able to do that?”

Sakura knows he’s talking to Corrin, but she can’t help feeling that it _is_ directed at her. She looks out at the rolling plains as if they hold the answer.

The familiar prickle of anger pins her. She’s so pathetic. She thought she could walk into Hoshido without repercussions, but the instant she tasted the air, Sakura wanted to flee home. Even if it wasn’t the Hoshido she grew up in, it was still _Hoshido_ , and by gods she wished that was enough. Her heart argued, protested that this was a fabrication. Hinoka was waiting for her back in the _real_ world.

And as much as she wished to escape, Sakura never abandoned her family.

“It’s very peaceful here,” Roy muses as he stands by her side. “These plains serve as the border between Nohr and Hoshido, correct?”

Sakura shakes her head. “N-No, these are part of Hoshido. Further back is the Bottomless Canyon. It’s a dark and d-dangerous place, but it belongs t-to neither Nohr or Hoshido. _That_ is what divides our world’s countries.”

A gentle breeze caresses her, carrying with it the smell of a spring’s early bloom. If she closed her eyes, she could picture the very flowers she was named after and hear the gentle bells of the Dawn Dragon’s shrine. The soft rumbling and cold hydration of the stream reminds her of the _chōzuya_ and she realizes it’s been a long time since she’s knelt and prayed.

It wouldn’t matter, but she holds her hands together anyway.

She kneels by the bank, red clay squishing beneath her feet. If she looked closely, she could make out signs of life among the stream. There are insects and fish no bigger than the tips of her fingers that sway to and against the current, skating atop the water. It’s odd, but such a mundane sign of life reminds her how Hoshido – even if it is not _her_ Hoshido – has not stopped. Time is always moving even if she is not there. She can’t begin to fathom what Hinoka has been going through.

Her mind reaches, pushes itself in search of a God that is not there. For a God that has long tuned out His ear to the pleas of its people. For a God that did nothing when Hoshido was torn in half by Nohr. And even if she found Him, what could she ask? Beg for the fulfillment of a fruitless wish? To return home?

When her beliefs and hope grew frail, she wasn’t sure what had changed. Perhaps she stopped looking.

“I’m sorry,” she says as Roy crouches down adjacent. “I’m m-making everyone wait, aren’t I?” Her gaze traces to Corrin and Nino. Their lips form around unheard words, and Sakura wonders if Corrin is talking about her time in Hoshido.

...She doesn’t care.

“There’s no rush. We know this is hard for you.”

“Y-You shouldn’t worry about me so much,” she sighs, dropping her hands to her lap. “I’ll be okay.”

The lie sounds worse in the air than it does in her head.

“Why shouldn’t I worry? You’re my friend.”

Huh? “Huh?”

“Is that alright? If you’re not comfortable with the idea of it, then—”

“That’s not it. I-I’m just surprised you think of me as your friend... I was afraid y-you’d thought I was weak, or that I had upset you with what I said last night.”

“You’re not weak, Sakura,” his voice takes a firmer edge, but it’s not forceful. “Pushing yourself to fight even if you hate it takes strength. You don’t want people getting hurt, so you would put yourself in danger just to help someone. I think that’s very admirable and I want you to rely on me for as long as we’re here.”

A light blush dusts her cheeks at the praise. “Y-You must be exaggerating, but... thank you, Roy... That means a lot t-to me, and, if it’s alright with you, I want you to t-trust me as well.”

“That won’t be a problem,” he laughs lightly before turning his attention to the stream. “You know, I’ve never heard of Hoshido or Nohr until I met you. Even Askr was unfamiliar before I arrived. It makes me realize how closed off our worlds really are.”

Her head dips in a slow nod. “Yes, I think I understand what you mean. Every world is separate, b-but it never stops moving. I-It’s as if life continues in other places even if we’re not there to s-see the changes.”

There’s a pause and she feels Roy’s eyes boring into her side. She’s not sure what he’s thinking, but she can sense a burning question.

“Would you mind telling me about your home sometime, Sakura?”

...That is _not_ what she was expecting.

But that doesn’t mean she’s _disappointed_ with the request...

“I-I’d be glad to. I’d like to learn about your world, too.”

There is no doubt in her mind that digging up Hoshido’s history and culture would also reel in painful memories. It would be difficult, she thinks, retelling stories that all involved her family in some way. Sakura begins to think she may even need more _time_ before she’s ready to touch old wounds. But if there’s anything she learned from Roy, it was that he’s patient. He would wait for her and they would exchange tales then.

It’s odd.

Sakura had closed off her heart to just about anyone who wasn’t her sister or retainers. And here was Roy was taking apart the walls as if they were nothing. She still harbored a doubt that had been planted in her mind since the attack at Fort Jinya, but she’s willing to prevent it from growing if Roy was willing to trust her. She could never forget the innocents that were slaughtered, the people who were betrayed, or the way the Nohrian army tore through her family like paper.

But Roy is neither Nohrian nor Hoshidan.

That alone was a stepping stone for her. Not solid, but one nonetheless. It was a risk she was willing to take.

Taking risks... Perhaps she had a bit of Hinoka inside her after all.

Roy pushes himself to his feet, brushing the fronts of his pants to clear away clay and mud. He extends a hand to her. “We should get going. I almost forgot about Corrin and Nino...”

_Corrin._

Oh, right—

“Um,” she lets him pull her up. “You had asked about Corrin earlier, d-didn’t you?”

“Yeah, she seems to know you. Are you two friends?”

An ugly feeling sloshes in her stomach and she immediately shakes her head, staring at nothing as she partially turns away. It was impressive how simple _talk_ of Corrin contorted her mind into an uncomprehending mess. Such negative feelings are unbecoming of a Shrine Maiden, but Sakura has grown to stop caring. “I... She’s _more_ than a f-friend, but it’s n-not as simple as you’d think. T-There were a lot of things that happened back in my world.”

Silence.

“Corrin is my sister. S-She’s the one mother...”

It strikes her like an arrow, piercing close to her heart. She repays the scene over and over against the back of her eyelids.

Hoshidan plaza. An explosion. Shards dark as night protruding from the debris and dust that the ground chokes up. Mother shielding Corrin. Mother falling. The taste of panic and disbelief in her mouth. Ryoma stopping her. A scream. A _dragon_ —

Her eyes are so heavy as she tilts her head to the sky so the tears won’t fall. The sun pokes at her face, but she doesn’t care as long as they _don’t fall._

She struggles to conjure up as many angry memories that she can. Corrin’s betrayal sits at the top but tying into close seconds are her family: Takumi’s descent into madness and Ryoma being cut down by the Nohrian army. There’s another memory of her first kill. An arrow burrowing into the throat of a soldier who threatened to bring the axe down on Hana. Sakura recalls the desire to protect both friends and family in that moment. For once, she had felt invincible.

Now the anger refuses to respond, swept away by the sadness and grief.

The plains blur and meld together in her vision. Maybe Roy asks if she’s alright, but she doesn’t hear him. She cannot focus on what’s next to her, tangled in cords of emotions.

Sakura finds herself so lost that at first she thinks it’s a cruel illusion conjured by her conflicted mind. When she blinks, the tears fall, but the figure does not disappear. ‘ _They’re... real. Someone’s there... someone’s coming closer_ ,’ she realizes belatedly, wiping at her face. She squints, takes a few steps away from Roy and stops. Her mind reels to a halt and she’s expecting it to be another illusion, another soldier. Someone who doesn’t belong.

_‘They’re—’_

“ _—Big brother!_ ”

The words slip free from her lips so fast she doesn’t have the time to bite them down. He looks the same as when she last saw him, Raijinto sheathed at his side, but as he nears, she can see how he regards them with suspicion. She understands, but it still hurts a little.

Corrin is suddenly at her side.

“Sakura...? Corrin too?”

Disbelief stills her tongue, but it does not dam the sadness and longing. She’s disappointed with herself. Since the war ended she wanted nothing more than to see Ryoma and Takumi one last time. She wanted to tell them how much she loved them and how they were the best brothers she could ever have. But now that she has this chance, she can’t even bring herself to speak. All her questions and messages clot together until she can’t pull them apart anymore.

_I’m so pathetic._

“This can’t be,” Ryoma shakes his head, frowning. “We haven’t seen you since you abandoned both us and Nohr. And Sakura... she’s with Takumi and Hinoka...”

Her suspicions are confirmed: There is another version of her. Takumi is alive. This Sakura has all her siblings.

Jealousy has become a rather familiar emotion with her these days.

“I know it’s hard to believe, Ryoma,” Corrin chips in. “But we’re not from here. Hoshido’s been raided by another country and we’re here to help.”

He says nothing, but Sakura sees how his fingers twitch at Raijinto’s hilt. “I knew _her_ magic was twisted, but to fight people who look exactly like my sisters...”

The Hoshidan air suddenly feels stiff and she wants to wake up as this dream slowly becomes a nightmare. “P-Please listen to her, big brother!” she can’t stop her feet from propelling a handful of steps forward. “I-It’s the truth! We would n-never hurt you.”

Relief steals her breath as Ryoma eyes them carefully.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have a choice...” Raijinto sizzles to life as it sheds its sheath. “You’re asking me to choose between my family and outsiders. I can’t risk forfeiting if it means endangering them. For the sake of my siblings, forgive me.”

Hurt clenches her heart and brings her to her knees. She wants to believe there is only regret in his eyes as Ryoma charges forward with katana raised. Instead she sees a determination that is for his siblings – for his _real_ family. It creates a concoction of both pride and fear. And as he draws nearer, she wonders if her Ryoma had this exact look in his eye in his final battle. Had he fought for his family until the very end? Was the image he fought for a picture of his family?

The answer was obvious.

(her fingers weakly graze the Physic staff and she flinches.)

Yes.

Raijinto curves down in an arc.

And she feels nothing.

The sound of metal against metal vibrates violently in her ears and she wills herself to look.

Roy pushes forward with his shoulder and Raijinto jerks back towards its wielder. “What are you doing, Prince Ryoma?” he grits out, dirt piling behind his heel. “She may not be from your world, but she’s still your _sister_!”

“You think I don’t know that... You think I _want_ to do this!?”

He doesn’t answer, instead he throws himself against the parry, successfully unlocking their swords. Roy’s blade alights with an angry roar and the flames roll against Raijinto and touch against Ryoma’s wrist. Sakura sees his grip fumble as his other hand flies up to inspect the damage.

It’s a warning, but she rises to her feet and grasps Roy’s arm.

“Roy, no! D-Don’t hurt him!” she begs, and her throat is constricted with the strain of swallowing her sobs.

He looks at her, startled. “I—”

Blades as green as elemental wind spells embed themselves in the space between Ryoma and Sakura’s team. Nino’s tome is closed in her hands, a soft aura radiating from its cover. A crescendo of blue and white light bursts behind them, and Sakura glances to her left to see Corrin as a dragon. In another world at another time, she would have feared her form – _hated_ it, even. But now, she’s too tangled in her anguish to feel anything for it.

Ryoma does not back down.

Sakura always wished she had even a fraction of his determination.

But now, she doesn’t know whether to admire or fear it.

“I can’t let that stop me,” Ryoma snaps. “Are you working with her too? Just another test for me to overcome?”

Corrin’s voice echoes as she roars, “That’s not it! There must be some other way to help you without fighting!”

“I’m afraid it’s not that simple,” Roy interjects at Corrin. “If there were a peaceful solution, I wouldn’t be raising my sword against another royal. That contract isn’t going to break that easily.”

“So we _have_ to fight?” Corrin exclaims. “There’s no other way?”

‘ _That didn’t stop you before, did it?’_ Sakura thinks, but it’s more out of resignation than outright ire. Her thoughts are jammed with the reality of having to fight _another_ sibling. She told herself she’d be ready for this and she _had_ been. Now as it sinks in, reluctance seizes her limbs and binds her in place.

How could she fight her dead brother? The very brother she wished was still alive?

Her teeth dig into her lower lip. She hears Nino say her name in a tone laced with nothing but worry. Sakura can’t bring herself to trust her voice, never mind _look_ at anyone when the wetness trickles down her cheeks.

Fate was cruel, and she cursed the ones who felt it necessary to rearrange her life as if it were no different from pieces to a board game.

Roy meets Corrin’s bewilderment with silence and it is Ryoma who speaks. “You seem to understand how this works, Lord Roy; I trust you and your team to free us. Until then, I have no choice but to give it my all.”

“You’re outnumbered,” he responds simply. “Contract or not, there’s no honor fighting someone who’s alone.”

Ryoma scoffs, but his stance softens. “You think the contract cares for honor? How many other worlds have you visited where family was pitted against family?” something in Roy’s expression crumbles at his words. “If you say you have the power to help, then prove it.”

Sakura feels their eyes on her. It is as if she is given the final say to fight or flee.

She weighs possible options. As it stood, she can’t bear the thought of her brother tied to an invisible force that pulls the strings. Fighting against his will to protect his family – it was both honorable and horrible. It was _cruel_ how she’s finally able to see her brother, but on the opposite sides of the battlefield. Sakura knows this Ryoma feels little for her, which makes it worse.

“Big brother,” her voice is weak and strains against her own ears. She hates it. “I...”

( _want to help you._ )

“...missed you. I don’t want to fight you. I know we _have_ to, but...”

“Sakura...” it’s weird hearing her name from his lips. She missed that too. “I would ask your forgiveness for attacking my family. It’s unlike me to ask, but I need your help too.”

“Don’t apologize; there’s no way I could blame you. That’s why, I...” the words die in her throat, and all she can do is stare.

He gives a reassuring smile, the one he would give her before diving into battle, the one he would give her after suffering a grievous wound. “Though you may be different from the Sakura of this world, you’re still my sister. Know that I’m proud of you.”

“ _No matter what happens_ ,” Azura had said with a tender smile. “ _I’m proud of you, Sakura_.”

She finds herself trembling, not bothering to stop the tears. What was the point?

“I can’t stop until one of us loses,” Ryoma addresses everyone now, Raijinto crackling with renewed energy. “Four against one or not, I will fight for as long as I am tied to this contract. No more games; come at me.”

“Sakura?”

Roy.

“Have you made up your mind?”

She nods, drying her eyes with her sleeve. “It’s as you and Ryoma said: we have no choice,” she tries her hardest from burying her face in her hands. This was no time to cry, this was no time to cry. “Although everything is telling me not to fight my brother, seeing him unable to act of his own hurts even more. I can’t let my brother and the rest of my siblings suffer any longer.”

“...I understand,” she expects to hear reluctance in his voice. Instead, all she hears is determination and she finds it oddly assuring. “For you and your family, I will do everything I can to break this contract.”

“Thank you, Roy... It m-means a lot to me,” she grasps the healing staff with both hands. Her fingers are sore and tender from her previous grip, but she holds tight anyway. “I’ll be at your side.”

Corrin is the first to intercept Ryoma’s advance, a swipe of her tail that staggers him back more than a few steps. The current of water that twists from her mouth isn’t enough to stop him from striking at Corrin’s unguarded legs. She lets out a startled exclaim, the blow ceasing the magic that expelled from her mouth. There’s a brief flicker and Sakura fears she may revert to her human form, defenseless without the Yato blade.

A circle of magic hovers before Nino, calling forth a green blade that crashes against Ryoma’s shoulder before dissolving into the air. Sakura wills herself not to heal when he grunts in pain. Nino is quick, already summoning another myriad of blades, but she is not strong. Ryoma had shrugged off her attack, Raijinto cutting through another burst of water. Corrin stumbles back and Roy moves closer, intent on shielding her from further attacks. Fire flickers along his blade, flames twirling with electricity as the swords crash in a parry. Sakura takes hurried steps as the sound of metal practically singes the air with each collision.

She conjures images of spring in Hoshido, the scent of the flowers that are her namesake, the gentle gurgling of the river, a refreshing breeze. The Physic staff springs to life as green tendrils touch the cut on Corrin’s leg, weaving the scales together. Turning to Nino, she repeats the spell.

Sakura’s so caught up in healing she doesn’t feel the change in pressure amidst the chaos.

“Sakura! Look out!” An incantation flutters from Nino’s lips as her magic slices through the air. The spell is enough to stun their attacker into existence, their camouflage evaporating in a flurry of wind and leaves. “There’s more of them!”

Kagero looks just as she did during the war. Sakura hadn’t seen her since Ryoma left for Castle Shirasagi. She was a woman of little words, dedicated to serving her liege until death. Unfortunately Sakura could confirm this. News of both Kagero and Saizo’s death had reached her the instant she was released from her prison. She grieved for them both even if she hardly knew them. Sakura recalls seeing Kagero’s horrific artwork and _ikebana_ when times were peaceful and wishes she had pushed herself to talk with Kagero _more_ , to thank her for being so loyal to her brother and Hoshido.

“How dishonorable... attacking my liege when he’s outnumbered,” she says quietly, swiping a familiar looking weapon from the pouch at her side. “You’ll pay for attacking him with your lives!”

“Kagero...!”

Their gazes meet, and Sakura can see the surprise that sparks like the lit fuses of a Hoshidan firecracker. The shuriken in her hands does not falter, but she can see how Kagero hesitates. For all the faith she put in Ryoma, she would _never_ strike another Hoshidan royal.

“Lady Sakura...? Why are you— You’re fighting with—”

Nino’s spell flings forward, slamming against Kagero’s wrist guards as she lifts her arms in a clumsy attempt to shield herself. It pulls her attention, and whatever she was going to say disappears as she sprints forward. Her wrist flicks, and there’s the sound of her shuriken bouncing off magical blades before she’s toe-to-toe with Nino, drawing her katana as Nino raises her tome in a futile attempt to block swift jabs.

“Kagero, _stop_!” She cringes as Corrin lunges forward to help, water bursting from her maw when Nino’s back collides with the hard earth.

A part of her hopes Kagero can hold her own against a dragon and magic; she doesn’t want her team suffering severe injuries either. Sakura averts her attention to Ryoma and Roy. She doesn’t want to see Corrin strike down another Hoshidan. What she _does_ is turn away from Corrin and Nino, just in time to see Raijinto slice Roy’s side, pale skin bleached with red standing out between the tear of his dark blue clothes. And, hating herself, she shakes the staff viciously in their direction. Magic erupts at Ryoma’s feet, throwing him on his back a fair distance away.

‘ _I’m sorry, big brother..._ ’ Her eyes are burning and it’s difficult to call on the magic to heal Roy as her vision blurs. ‘ _But I can’t let you harm my friend._ ’

Roy’s fast, but Ryoma’s stronger. She notices how each swing with the katana causes Roy’s knees to shudder from the force. He twists to avoid a vicious slice from Ryoma, bringing down his blade in a diagonal stroke that Ryoma easily sidesteps. Roy takes steps forwards, Ryoma takes steps backwards. It’s a dance only warriors know. They intend to hurt one another, but she can see caution and hesitance in Roy’s movements.

Her heart stutters against her ribcage. ‘ _He wants to help them, but he’s_ still _worried because of me..._ ’

To her right, she hears Corrin snarling as she continues to duel against Kagero. Sakura toys with the idea to abandon Roy and check on her. But she has Nino, two against one, while Roy is by himself.

She hadn’t noticed it before, but Sakura sees the tears and chipped shoulder pads of Ryoma’s armor. One is smeared with the black residue of a burn.

Had these been any other foes, she would have gladly cast spells left and right. In the end, she can’t even properly defend her team aside from healing. The staff is strong enough to knock Ryoma back, but it is not enough to cut away at his armor or inflict heavy wounds.

And even if it _could_ , how many times would she be able to attack her brother before her mind screamed enough?

It hits her before she can even blink.

Sakura’s been surrounded by Hoshidan combat all her life. She rarely partook in it, but she knows the signs and she knows the patterns of every combat style. It’s slow realization, heavy in the air as she feels the abnormal beat of the wind. Her feet spring her forward and she slides in front of his unprotected back.

“ _Roy_ —”

The wind hisses sharply.

She screams.

The sky tilts as she falls. A voice rings out— no, _two_ voices, and her upper body is resting in someone’s lap. She’s too drained to voice her discomfort, teeth gritting together as the shurikens are gently removed. Two of them, tips dyed red. Two shurikens, two wounds, two voices...

Through her dwindling vision, she makes out a third figure. Saizo’s one eye is widened by shock.

“Lady Sakura, you—”

“Stay where you are!” Ryoma commands from where he is kneeled by her side.

He turns his head in shame; he is wise not to speak. Sakura wants to assure him that it’s fine, tell Ryoma not to be mad at his retainer when it was _she_ who jumped in the line of fire. After all, he was just doing what he was supposed to do, right? Why should he be punished for trying to protect his master?

Warm wetness blossoms against her back, sticking her shirt to her skin. She’s probably getting Roy’s pants dirty with every intake of breath.

She should apologize for that later.

“Sakura—”

“—are you alright?” Ryoma cuts in. “Don’t move; I’ll get you out of here, take you to a healer...”

She feels Roy’s fingers tighten against the back of her head. “Sakura, what were you _thinking_? Why did you take the hit?”

“I promised to fight by your side,” fatigue glues itself to her limbs and she grasps weakly as her consciousness dwindles. She recalls Kiran, dragged to a foreign world with no way of returning. “My role isn’t just to heal... If I can protect someone, I will.”

Something flickers in Roy’s expression – Guilt? Regret? – but she’s alerted to the sudden presence of Nino and Corrin.

“Sakura!”

“Give me your staff!” Nino gasps, reaching for Sakura’s weapon. “I’m not as skilled as you, but I can heal!”

Sakura doesn’t have time to protest, feeling the familiar embrace of a simple Heal spell temporarily dulling the pain. It’s still there, and Nino’s magic is weak, but Sakura is nothing but grateful as the spell nudges the heavy parts of her fatigue. “Thank you, Nino...”

Corrin looks at Roy. “We should retreat. We can come back another day, but not while Sakura is hurt.”

She sees his head dip in a nod. Sakura is too tired to dismiss Corrin’s concern, so she stays quiet.

“That would be best...” their attention is drawn to Ryoma, who no longer kneels. On his feet, his teeth are clenched, right hand resting on the hilt of Raijinto. “As much as I want to help you, Sakura, my every instinct is telling me to cut you down. To finish you off.”

Roy’s grip on her goes rigid, Corrin and Nino sliding to stand over them protectively.

Kagero is uncharacteristically hesitant, “Lord Ryoma—”

“Go back to Shirasagi. You both are bound by the contract as well. I won’t take any more risks.”

Relief washes over her face as does Saizo’s. “I’m sorry this happened, Lady Sakura,” she whispers. “And I’m sorry we can’t be of any help.”

“Don’t... Saizo...” He’s been avoiding her eyes since Ryoma had barked his orders. This isn’t her Saizo – her Saizo is no more – but regret is the last thing she wants to see on his face. “I-It’s not your fault. You were just doing your job.”

He makes a noise at the back of his throat. “What I did... it was unforgivable. Don’t act like it wasn’t,” and he turns. “No amount of apologies can fix the damage.”

“Saizo...” if his name reaches his ears, he doesn’t show it. The wind buffets her as they disappear in a gust of leaves. “Big brother, please don’t be upset with him. It wasn’t—”

“I know,” Ryoma sighs, and he sounds just as tired as her. “I won’t.”

Corrin reaches to help Sakura stand, placing a hand at her back as she pulls herself into a sitting position. “We’ll defeat whoever started these contracts,” her voice is quiet, but resolute. “I’ll find them myself if I have to.”

“You should leave now. I would like to speak with you more, but... I’ll have to trust you all to take care of her, make sure she recovers.”

Sakura’s heart tightens. This isn’t her big brother, but he was the same through and through – worry about family first before tending to oneself. She knew they were the same person, right? Though this Ryoma was different, he was _still_ Ryoma, still the big brother who protected and upheld the family. She wasn’t wrong to think of both Ryomas as two separate people.

“If we backtrack now, we’ll find the portal,” Nino adds, eyeing the dark patch on Sakura’s back.

“Go now. Don’t worry about the contract, just get her to safety.”

Roy pulls her to her feet, mindful of her injuries. She finds herself leaning against Corrin for support, not trusting her back when she walks. “B-But the contract—”

“No,” Ryoma shakes his head, frowning. “I can’t risk you staying here any longer. I’ll be fine, so don’t worry.”

“You saying that isn’t going to make me worry less.” _No! It’s too soon!_ “I don’t want to run away; I want to help!”

 “Sakura...” and then he smiles. His eyes soften, and it shouldn’t hurt so much, but it does. “I was wrong to jump to conclusions. Though you may be from another world, your heart doesn’t change. Forgive me for not realizing that sooner.”

“Big brother...” her breath hitches.

_I missed you— this isn’t fair— please take me home— I’m your sister— I never said ‘good-bye’—_

_I love you._

“Roy, look after her. To my knowledge, this world’s Sakura does not know anyone with your name. But I can tell Sakura trusts you.” He pauses, eyes sliding to Corirn. “And you too, of course. Watch her back in my place.”

She feels a tug at her wrist. “Come on, Sakura,” Corrin persists. “We should go.”

“But I—” her teeth dig into her lip, eyes lined with tears and cheeks wet as she lets them fall. “I don’t w-want to say good-bye! N-Not yet. I haven’t seen you for so long, and n-now that I can, I have to leave when you need our help?”

Confusion lines Corrins’ face. “What do you mean by ‘long’?”

“I-It’s not fair!” the sob tears through her lips. “I know I’m b-being selfish, but can’t I be just this once?”

“Sakura,” Ryoma approaches, laying a hand on her shoulder. She can feel the tension and strain of it, as if fighting back against whatever strings the contract pulled. “I don’t know what happened back in your world, but I know that Ryoma would want you as far away from danger as possible. We ask a lot of you, but once more, do what I ask. Please.”

Her fingers curl against her palm and she brings her fists to her chest. She doesn’t want to. She wants to hug this Ryoma in a pitiful attempt to fill the void her Ryoma left. In the end, Sakura can only manage a nod as she lets Corrin and the rest of her team guide her back.

“I-I’m so happy I got to see you again. But I’ll be back to free you from the contract.”

Ryoma was not fate’s puppet – not if she had a way of stopping it.

“I know you will.”

Hoshido wavers in her vision, the tears rush down her face.

She’s not sure how long she cries, mentally scolding herself as she sniffs and rubs at her eyes. Corrin stays back with her despite Roy’s reluctance. Little words are said, and she notices how he avoids engaging her in conversation. Sakura should feel thankful that he’s giving her the space she needs, but instead all she can feel is emptiness. Corrin is not enough to fill that hole – she never was.

It is with reluctance that she looks over her shoulder, hoping to see Ryoma among the sea of grass. A fresh wave of sadness boils in her stomach, makes her nauseous. He is nowhere to be seen.

And as she steps into the portal, Hoshido, too, vanishes from her sight.

Sakura closes her eyes.

* * *

 

When she opens them, she finds herself gazing at a ceiling. There’s the smell of concoction materials and medicine, and her torso feels tight. She drags her fingers across the bandages wound beneath her clothing. There’s a flicker of discomfort in her back. It doesn’t take her long to piece together her surroundings.

Askr clinic, a stronger healing spell applied to her wounds, beds, and white. There’s a lot of white too. Its bleached the marble walls, the floor, the ceilings... She sees the blankness behind her eyelids too.

She grows tired of it rather quickly.

“Sakura—!”

Her head jerks to her left, pink tresses of hair slapping against her cheeks from the sudden movement. She should probably cut it before it gets too long...

“Roy... Where...?”

He exhales sharply, hands gripping the edge of the mattress. “I was so worried. We got back from Hoshido and you just collapsed. Your injuries started bleeding again and—” he grimaces. “I’m sorry. It’s my fault you’re in this mess... all because I couldn’t look out for myself.”

His words pound into her ears. She squeezes her hands together. “N-No... it’s not your fault—”

“It is!” she flinches, he notices. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to shout...”

“It’s alright, but... w-why are you saying this?”

Roy hesitates, finger grazing the side of his ring. “I should’ve realized Saizo was nearby. I’ve fought people like him back in my world, people who used the environment to cloak themselves. Not being able to sense him doesn’t excuse me for letting a friend get hurt.”

“But you can’t blame yourself! The warriors of Hoshido have very different fighting styles. Saizo is a ninja, a warrior that relies on his speed and stealth. I-It’s very hard for people to detect them – even Hoshidans can’t tell if they’re nearby. I only sensed him because I _know_ him... I know his patterns a-and techniques... He trained with Ryoma when I was very little.”

“I...” he rests his forehead against steepled fingers. “It makes sense other worlds have different fighting styles. I guess, in the end, I’m... disappointed with myself.”

Sakura swallows, reaching for the right words. “Y-You fought very well against Ryoma though. It’s r-rare to see someone fight against him for as long as you did. W-What’s making you disappointed?”

There’s a pause, and she sees the other healers tending to one patient to the next. She recognizes the pink hair and hasty, loud steps of Serra.

“I can’t stand someone getting hurt because of me,” he responds, keeping his eyes trained on the blank sheets. “Back in Elibe, I lead the Lycian Alliance in place of my father. There have been times where I wasn’t as careful as I should’ve been. As their leader, my allies respect me and are prepared to lay their lives on the line. To limit causalities, I try to look after myself, but...” a quiet, mirthless one-note laugh presses out his mouth. “In the end, I’m only one person.”

“Roy, you...” it dawns on her slowly. What he says... it strikes a chord of familiarity in her. She’s _been_ there, she understands. “I’m sorry. I hadn’t realized you’ve been shouldering so much.”

“I should thank you though, for taking that hit,” she wonders if he’s deliberately avoiding the topic. “It was very brave of you.”

“Thank you. I couldn’t let you get hurt, but... Y-You’re right, you know?” at his puzzlement, she continues. “That y-you’re just ‘one person’. I know how it feels w-when others get hurt trying to protect me. For so long, I was weak, a-and I still am. After seeing so many of my friends and family putting themselves in danger for me, I tried to distance myself too. I was scared that r-relying on people would hurt them more. But fighting in the war made me realize that I c-couldn’t do everything alone – even if I wanted to. I had to trust they would protect me, and I had to protect them in return. If they didn’t see an enemy, I-I’d help.”

“Sakura...”

“I-I’m sorry if I upset you by doing something so reckless... But if it happened again, I w-wouldn’t stop myself from shielding you or anyone else.”

“No, you’re right,” The weight on the bed lessens as he leans back in his seat. “Had the situation been reversed, I would have done the same. I can’t fault you for wanting to protect someone.”

She says nothing.

“It was a noble act, and I can only hope to make it up to you some day.”

“You can,” she clears her throat as her voice catches. “You can promise to not put s-so much pressure on yourself. I-I wanted you to trust me, remember? S-So if you do that, then I won’t have to worry so much.”

“It’s a... bad habit of mine. I’m afraid I have a few of them.”

Sakura smiles gently, hoping it eases the tension. “We all do. Y-You’re not just my teammate, but my f-friend too.”

“I feel the same. You’ve become important to me as well, Sakura.”

It was funny. She could have built a relationship with another Hoshidan, but instead the one person she trusts the most in Askr is someone from an entirely different world.

Fate was cruel, but perhaps it wasn’t always unkind...

“Um, w-where are Corrin and Nino? Are they okay?”

He nods. “Yeah, but about Corrin... You were telling me something before Ryoma appeared. If you don’t want to tell me, that’s alright, but I thought I should tell you that she wanted to speak with you.”

“I see...” Sakura feels her stomach drop and she lets her head fall back against the pillows. She feels the onset of a headache poking at her temple. “She’s w-worried about me. I know i-it’s terrible to say, b-but I...”

She tries to think of Ryoma, of her family to try and still her nerves. Instead, she feels the all too familiar pressure behind her eyes as their image crumbles in her mind’s eye. He wasn’t _her_ Ryoma, he wasn’t _her_ Ryoma... He only spared her because she looked like his Sakura. Not her – _his_ Sakura... And in that Hoshido, he had _his_ Takumi, _his_ Hinoka... Sakura didn’t have a chance of seeing the brothers she grew up with, the ones she loved so deeply that it followed them beyond death. What hopeless thinking. How childish, Sakura.

...How much was she going to cry today?, she thinks miserably. How have her eyes not dried out from all the tears shed?

 _“_ I don’t know if I w-want to see her—” Sakura feels his hand grasp hers, the one that’s not hurrying to scrub away relentless tears. It reminds her of the previous night. This time, she clenches back. “I-I’m sorry, I’m awful.”

“You’re not,” Roy protests. “I don’t know Corrin like you do, but it’s clear that she’s done something to deeply hurt you. If you don’t want to see her, I’ll think of an excuse.”

“No, I h-have to speak with her,” she squeezes her eyes shut briefly. “It’s not going to be easy, but th-there are some things I n-need to ask her.”

“...Are you sure?”

 _No._ “Yes. I-I’ll speak with her.”

Roy frowns, but she sees no traces of anger. Only concern. “If that’s your final decision, I won’t stop you,” he says. “Do you want me to get her?”

“It’s okay, I can find her. I don’t want to keep you here longer than y-you have to be.”

“You’re fine. Truth is, I’m still concerned about what happened two nights ago, but there’s not much I can do about it. I don’t have any leads and I can’t ask the others without stirring up suspicion.”

Right.

The traitor.

Whoever they were.

Roy lets go of her hand and she finds herself missing the warmth of his palm. “You should rest. I’ll be sure Corrin gets to you if I see her.”

“A-Actually,” Sakura almost bites her tongue to silence herself. “I-I think I’d p-prefer if you stayed h-here a little... If it’s a-alright with you. After everything that’s happened today, I feel I o-owe you an explanation... It might help me clear my head when I _do_ speak with her.” She pauses. “Y-You don’t mind, do you?”

And she almost breathes a sigh of relief when he gives her a small smile of his own. “Not at all, Sakura.”

There’s much she wishes to tell him, but she doesn’t have time for everything.

So she talks about her family: her beloved siblings, her late mother...

...and of course, her lost sister that grew up in Nohr.


End file.
